BS2t/5 
.EH 


STUDIES 

IN  THE 


GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 


PREPARED  FOR  READERS  OF  THE  ENGLISH 
NEW  TESTAMENT.     DESIGNED  FOR  USE 
IN  BIBLE  CLASSES,  PRAYER  MEET- 
INGS, AND  PRIVATE  STUDY 


George    P.   Eckman,  D.   D. 


FIRST   SERIES 

Chapters  I-XII 


CINCINNATI:    JENNINGS  AND  GRAHAM 
NEW   YORK:     EATON    AND   MAINS 


Copyright,   1907,   by 
Jennings  &  Graham 


CONTENTS 


Introductory, xiii-xvi 

I.  The  Author, i 

I.  Evidences  of  John's  Authorship,        -         -  2 

II.  The  Biography  of  John,         .         .         ,  4 

III.  The  Character  and  Work  of  John,  -         -  7 

Homily — The  Beloved  Disciple,     -         .         -  q 

II.  The  Gospel, 16 

Homily — Expert  Testimony,           -         -         -  22 

III.  The  Prologue  or  Introduction.  Chapter  I.  1-18,  29 

I.  The  Son  of  God  in  His  Eternal  Being,    -  30 

II.  The  Revelation  of  the  Son  of  God  to  Men; 

Their  Manner  of  Receiving  Him,        -  32 

III.  The    Disclosure    of    God    the    Father 
Through  the   Incarnation  as  Attested 

BY  Personal  Experience,         -         -         -  33 

Homily — God  With  Us,         -         -         -         -  35 


iv  CONTENTS. 

PART  I. 

PASS 

Manifestation  of  Christ's  Glory  Through 
\Vorks  and  ^Vords  Connected  \Vith 
His  Public  Ministry.  Chapter  I.  19- 
XII,         -  -  -----       43 

Section  I. 

Introductory  Period:  Initial  Testimonies.    Chapter 

I.  19-51,     -----         -  45 

IV.  The  W^itness  of   John  the  Baptist.     Chapter 

I.  19-37,  ------      46 

I.  The  Baptist's  Testimony  to  the  Commit- 
tee OF  the  Sanhedrin,         -         -         .  4.7 

II.  The  Baptist's  Testimony  to  the  Populace,      48 

III.  The  Baptist's  Testimony  to  His  Disciples,      48 

Homily — The  Man  Who  Discovered  Christ,       -      49 

V.  The  Witness  of  the  Called  Disciples.   Chapter 

I.  83-51,     ------  56 

I.  The  Testimony  of  Andrew  and  John,         -  56 

II.  The  Testimony  of  Philip  and  Nathanael,  57 

Homily — Introduced  to  Jesus,      -         -         -         -  59 

Section  II. 
Period  of   Undisturbed   Activity.     Chapter  II-IV,      65 

VI.  The  Wedding  at  Cana.     Chapter  II.  1-2,     -  67 

I.  The  First  Sign, 68 

II.  Spiritual  Significance  of  the  First  Sign,  70 

Homily — The  Key  to  Conduct,      -         -         -  71 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


VII.  Cleansing  of  the  Temple.    Chapter  II.  13-21,  78 

I.  The   Impressive   Act,         -         -         -         -  79 

II.  The  Consequences,        .        .        .        .  80 

Homily — The  Finest  Temple  in  the  World,       -  82 

VIII.  Interview    with    Nicodemus.      Chapter    II. 

23-III.  21,    ------  89 

The  Conversation  Concerning   the   Kingdom,  9° 

I.  The  New  Birth,         -         -         -         -         -  91 
11.   Revelation   of   Christ's   Person   to   This 

Doctrine,  ------  94 

Homily — The  Secret  of  the  Kingdom,        -         -  95 

IX.  Final  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist.    Chap- 
ter III.  22-36.     -----  103 
I.   Testimony  Concerning  Himself,         -         -  104 
II.  Testimony  Concerning  Christ,       -         -  105 
Homily — The  Motive  Heroic,    -         -         -         -  107 

X.  Interview  with  the  Samaritan  W^oman;  Its 

Results.     Chapter  IV.  1-42,       -         -  115 

I.   Jesus  and  the  Samaritan  Woman,     -         -  116 

II.  Jesus  and  His  Disciples,          -         -         -  119 

III.   Jesus  and  the  Samaritans,         -         -         -  119 

Homily — Undeveloped  Possibilities,       -         -  120 


vi  CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

XI.  Healing  of  the   Nobleman's  Son.     Chapter 

IV.  53-54, -  128 

I.  The  General  Situation  in  Galilee,        -  128 

II.  The  Miracle  and  Its  Results,  -         -         -  129 

Homily — The  Climax  of  Faith,     -         -         -  132 

Section  III. 

Period  of  Conflict.     Chapters  V-IX,       -         -         -  i39 

XII.  Healing  of  the  Impotent  Man  at  Bethesda. 

Chapter  V.  1-16,        -         -         -         -  141 

I.  The    Sign, 142 

II.  The  Result  of  the  Sign,        -         .         -  143 

Homily — The  Cure  of  Souls,     -         -         -         -  144 

^III.  Discourse    on    Life — A    Defense.      Chapter 

V.  17-47,  -         -----  151 

I.  Jesus   Justified  by   His   Relation  to   the 

Father,           -         -         -         -         -         -  151 

II.  The  Divine  Witness  to  This  Relationship,  153 

III.  The  Witness  Rejected  Through  Unbelief,  154 

Homily — Life  and  Life  Again,        -         -         -  155 

XIV.  Signs  at  the  Sea  of  Galilee.   Chapter  VI.  1-21,  161 

I.  The  First  Sign — Feeding  the  Multitude,  161 

11.  The  Second  Sign — Walking  on  the  Water,  163 

Homily — Caring  for  the  Crowd,       -         -         -  164 


CONTENTS.  vii 

PAGE 

XV.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life.     Chapter 

VI  .22-71, 173 

I.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life,  -         -  173 
II.  Issue    of    the    Discourse  in   Belief    and 

Unbelief, -  ^75 

Homily — A  Hard  Saying,       -         -         -         -  177 

XVI.  Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.     Chap- 
ter VIII,         ------  184 

I.  The  Challenge  of  His  Brethren,         -  184 

II.   Discourses  at  the  Feast,   -         -         -         -  185 

III.  Conflicting  Results  of  the  Discourses,     -  186 

Homily — Opinions  About  Jesus,     -         -         -  187 

XVII.  Jesus   and   the  Fallen   \A^oman.     Chapter 

VIL  53— Vm.  1-11,      -        -        -        -  194 

I.  Jesus  and  the  Accusers,         .        -        _  195 

II.  Jesus  and  the  Accused,     -        -        -        -  197 

Homily — The  Compassionate  Christ,     -         -  198 

XVIII.  The  Witness  of  Jesus  Concerning  Himself. 

Chapter  VIIL  12-59,      -         -         -         -  207 
I.   He   Bears   Testimony  to  His  Own  Char- 
acter,        ..----  207 

II.  He   Emphasizes  the  Significance  of   His 

Mission,           ...                _        .  208 

III.   He  Exposes  the  Infidelity  of  His  Critics,  209 

Homily — The  Light  of  the  World,        -         -  210 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

XIX.  Healing  of  the  Man  Bom  Blind.     Chapter 

IX, 216 

I.  The  Sign, 216 

II.  The  Inquisition, 217 

III.  The  Issue, 218 

Homily — The  Ground  of  Certitude,           -         -  219 

XX.  The  Good  Shepherd.     Chapter  X.  1-21  ,  -  225 

I.  The  Shepherd,           -         -         .         -         -  226 

II.  The  Door, 227 

III.  The  Good  Shepherd,          -         -         -         -  227 

Homily — Salvation  Through  Sympathy,         -  229 

XXI.  Discourse  at   the   Feast  of   Dedication. 

Chapter  X.  22-42,           -         -         -         -  234 

I.  The  Messiahship  of  Jesus,      -         -         -  235 

II.  The  Divinity  of  Jesus,        .         .         .         .  2^6 

Homily — An  Explanation  of  God,          -         -  237 

XXII.  The  Raising  of  Lazarus.     Chapter  XI,         -  244 

.   I.   The  Occasion  of  the  Miracle,        -         -  245 

II.  The  Scene  Before  the  Miracle,         -         -  247 

III.  The  Miracle, 248 

IV.  Consequences  of  the  Miracle,   -         -         -  251 
Homily — A  Very  Present  Help,    -         -         -  253 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Section  IV. 

PACK 

Period  of  Judgment  and  Transition.    Chapter  XII,  263 

XXIII.  The  Supper  at  Bethany.    Chapter  XII.  1-11,  265 
I.  The  Supper, 265 

II.  The  Sequel,           -         -         -         .         .  267 

Homily — Divine  Extravagance,          -         -         -  268 

XXIV.  The  Triumphal  Entry.    Chapter  XII.  12-19,  274 

I.  The  Enthusiasm  of  the  People,     -         -  274 

II.  The  Acquiescence  of  Jesus,        -         -         .  275 

III.  The  Despair  of  the  Pharisees,      -         -  276 

Homily — Wanted — By  the  World,    -         -         -  277 

XXV.  The  Quest  of  the   Greeks.     Chapter   XII. 

20-36,         ------  284 

I.  The  Petition, 284 

II.  The  Response,       -----  285 

III.  The  Warning, 287 

Homily — The  Center  of  Gravity,         -         -  288 

XXVI.  The  Final  Judgment.     Chapter  XII.  36-50,  294 

I.  The  Judgment  of  John,     -         -         -         -  294 

II.  The  Judgment  of  Jesus,         -         -         -  296 

Homily — The  Cause  of  Unbelief,      -         -         -  298 


Qta  ^g  Mife 


Our  English  speech  was  first  enriched  by  a  version 
of  John's  Gospel  in  a  very  memorable  fashion.  The 
Venerable  Bede,  a  learned  monk  of  Jarrow,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Tyne,  in  the  concluding  days  of  his  devoted  life, 
translated  this  wonderful  book  into  the  Anglo-Saxon 
tongue.  As  his  last  hour  was  approaching,  the  amanu- 
ensis to  whom  he  was  dictating  exclaimed,  "There  re- 
mains now  only  one  chapter,  but  it  seems  difficult  for 
you  to  speak."  "It  is  easy,"  replied  Bede.  "Take  your 
pen,  dip  it  in  ink,  and  write  as  fast  as  you  can."  After 
putting  down  the  sentences  as  they  fell  from  his  trem- 
bling lips,  the  scribe  said,  "Now,  master,  only  one  sen- 
tence is  wanting."  Bede  repeated  it.  "It  is  finished!" 
said  the  writer.  "It  is  finished,"  repeated  the  dying 
saint.  "Lift  up  my  head;  let  me  sit  in  my  cell,  in  the 
place  where  I  have  been  accustomed  to  pray;  and  now 
glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost."     And  with  this  noble  utterance  his  spirit  fled. 


zii 


INTRODUCTORY 


This  little  book  is  simply  the  outgrowth  of  its 
author's  work  with  his  own  people  during  a  few  happy 
and  profitable  months.  For  nearly  a  year  he  accom- 
panied them  in  an  analytical,  expository,  and  devotional 
study  of  John's  Gospel,  The  outlines  of  the  first  portion 
of  this  work  are  herewith  presented,  and  the  rest  will 
probably  appear  in  the  near  future.  The  weekly  prayer- 
meetings  were  employed  as  the  most  available  services 
in  which  the  congregation  could  engage  in  this  study. 
Free  discussion  was  encouraged  after  the  pastor  had 
opened  the  theme  of  the  evening.  Prayer,  song,  and 
personal  witness  contributed  those  devotional  elements 
which  are  essential  to  a  wholesome  mid-week  service. 
The  meeting  always  had  a  definite  object,  and  the  life- 
lessness  which  is  the  bane  of  the  improvised  service 
never  manifested  its  depressing  influence.  The  only  em- 
barrassment was  the  difficulty  of  limiting  the  meeting 
in  time.  Meanwhile  the  pastor  found  an  inexhaustible 
mine  of  pulpit  material  for  his  Sunday  ministrations, 
and  the  people  who  pursued  the  study  with  attention 
secured  a  knowledge  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  which  could 
not  fail  to  deepen  their  intelligence  and  enrich  their 
spiritual  experience.  They  were  urged  to  commit  to 
memory  large  portions  of  the  book,  and  these  were  fre- 
quently recited  in  unison  at  the  beginning  of  the  service. 


xiv  INTRODUCTORY 

They  were  asked  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  entire 
contents  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  be  able  to  present  a  cor- 
rect outline  of  all  the  movements  in  the  book.  As  the 
study  advanced  there  were  occasional  reviews  of  the 
subject-matter.  To  facilitate  the  work  a  syllabus  was 
printed  and  distributed  to  those  who  were  willing  to 
use  it.  The  good  effects  of  what  was  thus  done  by  one 
company  led  the  author  to  believe  that  other  assemblies 
of  Christians  might  reap  equally  profitable  results  from 
a  similar  course.  Moreover,  Bible  classes  in  connection 
with  the  Sunday-school,  and  individuals  engaged  in  pri- 
vate study,  could  pursue  with  advantage  the  method 
herein  indicated.  As  the  International  Sunday-school 
Lessons  for  1908  will  cover  the  Gospel  of  John,  there 
is  a  certain  timeliness  in  this  volume.  The  author  hopes 
it  may  be  found  helpful. 

William  Wordsworth  in  one  of  his  smaller  poems  re- 
cites the  story  of  a  famous  artist  whom  an  old  monk 
was  showing  through  the  convent  where  the  traveler 
may  see  Titian's  "Last  Supper."  As  they  studied  to- 
gether the  figures  of  that  noble  painting,  the  venerable 
friar  remarked  that  as  often  as  he  reflected  upon  the 
changes  constantly  occurring  about  him,  he  was  im- 
pressed that  the  persons  in  that  immortal  group  had 
actually  an  abiding  place  in  the  world,  while  he  and 
his  fellows  were  but  passing  phantoms.  "They  are  in 
truth  the  substance,  we  the  shadows." 

The  student  of  the  Gospel  of  John  is  similarly  af- 
fected, after  he  has  continued  awhile  in  the  goodly  fel- 
lowship of  the  persons  who  move  about  in  this  wonder- 
ful composition.  The  vitality  of  the  book  is  amazing. 
The  individuality  of  the  figures  it  portrays  is  marked 


INTRODUCTORY.  xv 

with  marvelous  distinctness.  The  central  Person,  to 
whom  thought  is  always  directed,  and  for  whom  light 
is  flashed  upon  every  sentence,  stands  out  from  the  pages 
of  this  Gospel  with  greater  clearness  and  beauty  than 
from  any  other  piece  of  literature  in  the  world.  The 
Apostles  whom  He  gathered  about  Him  are  drawn  with 
convincing  fidelity  to  nature.  The  author,  while  desir- 
ing only  to  exalt  his  Master,  reveals  his  own  character 
in  unmistakable  lines.  The  book  is  redolent  of  the  spirit 
of  Christ.  It  is  one  of  the  profoundest  works  known 
to  men,  yet  it  charms  the  humblest  minds.  It  is  the 
choicest  book  for  devotional  reading  which  the  New 
Testament  contains,  yet  the  theologian  will  never  get  to 
the  bottom  of  it.  A  thorough  acquaintance  with  this 
Gospel  is  a  liberal  education  in  the  "things  which  a 
Christian  ought  to  know  and  believe  to  his  soul's  health." 
To  fill  one's  mind  with  its  language  and  one's  heart  with 
its  spirit  is  to  insure  a  noble  and  effective  life. 

Frederick  Dennison  Maurice  was  often  discovered  by 
those  who  came  suddenly  into  his  study  rising  hurriedly 
from  his  knees,  his  face  overspread  with  a  ruddy  glow, 
and  bearing  the  marks  of  having  been  pressed  by  his 
hands.  The  Greek  Testament  would  be  found  open  at 
some  point  which  had  impressed  him  the  moment  he  had 
knelt  at  his  chair,  and  there  would  be  in  his  countenance 
just  a  hint  of  sadness — almost  of  reproach — that  his 
spirit  should  be  called  away  from  the  intercourse  it  had 
been  enjoying. 

The  student  of  John's  Gospel  will  require  deep  medi- 
tation and  earnest  prayer  in  order  to  obtain  the  highest 
advantage  from  his  perusal  of  this  sublime  production. 
It  is  incredible  that  a  profane  mind  should  understand 


xvi  INTRODUCTORY. 

its  spiritual  depths.  The  Holy  Spirit  who  inspired  its 
author  alone  can  avail  to  interpret  his  meaning.  Com- 
mentaries and  dissertations  on  the  Fourth  Gospel  are 
very  numerous.  The  student  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
finding  anything  he  desires,  from  the  most  scholarly  and 
critical  to  the  most  devotional  and  homiletic.  The  liter- 
ature on  the  subject  is  very  prolific,  and  this  is  a  proof 
of  the  inexhaustible  vitality  of  John's  work.  The  Epis- 
tles of  our  author,  as  well  as  the  Apocalypse,  must  not 
be  overlooked  as  works  calculated  to  assist  the  student 
in  interpreting  his  Gospel,  But  "the  mind  of  Christ" 
will  be  required  above  all  the  intellectual  aids  which 
thoughtful  men  have  provided. 

This  volume  contains  twenty-six  analytical  "Studies," 
accompanied  in  each  case  by  a  set  of  "Personal  Ques- 
tions" designed  to  apply  certain  lessons  of  the  passage 
under  consideration  to  the  individual  heart.  A  hymn 
taken  from  the  new  Methodist  Hymnal  is  also  suggested 
as  an  appropriate  poetic  phrasing  of  the  central  truth  of 
the  portion  studied.  The  homilies  which  follow  are  in- 
tended further  to  illustrate  the  themes.  They  usually 
treat  some  feature  of  the  passage  which  has  not  been 
particularly  emphasized  in  the  analysis.  The  writer  is 
painfully  conscious  of  the  incompleteness  and  defective- 
ness of  his  work,  but  humbly  trusts  that  what  he  has 
done  may  be  blessed  of  God  to  the  profit  of  those  who 
are  patient  enough  to  read  his  book. 


Studies  in  the  Gospel  of  John. 

I. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

The  son  ot  thunder,  the  loved  of  Christ,  the  pillar  of 
the  Churches,  who  leaned  on  Jesus'  bosom,  makes  his 
entrance.  He  plays  no  drama,  he  covers  his  head  with 
no  mask.  Yet  he  wears  array  of  inimitable  beauty.  For 
he  comes  having  his  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the 
gospel  of  peace,  and  his  loins  girt,  not  with  fieece  dyed 
in  purple,  or  bedropped  with  gold,  but  woven  through  and 
through  with,  and  composed  of,  truth  itself.  He  will  now 
appear  before  us.  .  .  .  Wherefore,  as  if  we  all  at  once  saw 
one  stooping  down  from  yonder  heaven,  and  promising  to 
tell  us  truly  of  things  there,  we  should  all  fiock  to  listen 
to  him,  so  let  us  now  dispose  ourselves.  For  it  is  from 
up  there  that  this  man  speaks  down  to  us.  •  .  .  Seest 
thou  the  boldness,  and  the  great  authority  of  his  words ! 
How  he  utters  nothing  by  way  of  doubtful  conjecture,  but 
all  demonstratively,  as  if  passing  sentence  !  Very  lofty  is 
this  apostle,  and  full  of  dogmas,  and  lingers  over  them 
more  than  over  other  things. — Chrysostom. 

Introduction. — The  question  of  authorship  in  dispute 
with  special  intensity  since  the  eighteenth  century.  Doubt 
thrown  upon  it  almost  from  the  beginning.  The  problem 
has  large  importance  in  determining  the  value  of  the 
book.  Some  contend  that  this  Gospel  would  not  be  im- 
paired by  admitting  the  uncertainty  of  its  authorship. 
This  view  is  not  justified.  "The  discourses  put  into  the 
mouth  of  Jesus,  and  the  conception  of  His  person  which 
is  set  forth  in  this  book,  have  for  the  Church  an  alto- 
gether different  value,  according  as  it  is  the  beloved 
apostle  of  the  Lord  who  gives  us  an  account  of  what  he 

1 


2         STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

has  seen  and  heard,  or  a  thinker  of  the  second  century 
who  composes  all  this  after  his  own  fancy." — Godet. 
The  truth  of  this  assertion  is  obvious  when  one  observes 
the  essential  relation  of  the  contents  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
to  the  individuality  of  the  writer,  who  repeatedly  affirms 
that  he  is  offering  personal  testimony,  in  which  at  the  same 
time  he  is  presenting  objective  truth.  "If  the  writer  was 
the  beloved  disciple,  an  eye-witness  possessing  a  specially 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  mind  and  character  of  Jesus, 
we  have  an  assurance  that  when,  for  example,  he  wrote 
the  opening  sentences  of  the  Gospel,  he  felt  himself  in 
touch  not  merely  with  current  theological  thought,  but 
with  the  historic  fact  of  the  consciousness  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth." — Strachan. 

I.  EVIDENCES  OF  JOHN'S  AUTHORSHIP. 

Here  it  is  only  possible  to  give  these  evidences  in  out- 
line. Detailed  statements  of  them  are  easily  available  in 
many  works  on  the  Gospel  of  John. 

I.  External  Evidence.  Accepted  by  the  Church  univer- 
sal as  John's  in  the  last  third  of  the  second  century. 
These  early  Christians  had  more  evidence  than  has 
reached  us.  Among  the  documents  ascribing  this 
Gospel  to  John  is  the  Muratorian  Fragment,  contain- 
taining  the  earliest  known  list  of  books  esteemed 
canonical  (A.  D.  150-175).  The  testimony  of  Thc- 
ophilus  of  Antioch  (about  180),  Clement  of  Alex- 
andria (190),  Irenseus  (173-190)  is  directly  in  sup- 
port of  the  authorship  of  John.  Aluch  importance  is 
attached  to  the  testimony  of  Irenasus  because  he  was 
the  disciple  of  Polycarp,  who  suffered  martyrdom 
at  eighty-six  years  of  age  (A.  D.  155  or  156),  and 
who  used  to  refer  to  "the  intercourse  he  had  with 
John  and  the  rest  who  had  seen  the  Lord."  It  is 
presumed  that  if  Polycarp  had  doubted  the  author- 
ship of  this  Gospel,  which  was  widely  circulated 
at  the  time,  he  would  have  so  expressed  himself,  and 
Irenaeus,  his  pupil,  would  not  have  taught  that  John 
composed  it.     The  works  of  Justin  Martyr   (140- 


THE  AUTHOR.  '  3 

i6i),  TertulHan  (born  about  i6o),  Tatian  (150- 
180) ,  and  other  early  writers  contain  quotations  from 
the  Gospel,  and  evidently  assume  the  authorship  of 
John  without  question.  For  full  and  illuminating 
discussion  of  this  problem,  and  also  for  internal  evi- 
dence as  indicated  below,  see  Sanday,  Criticism  of 
the  Fourth  Gospel;  Hastings,  Dictionary  of  Christ 
and  the  Gospels,  Vol.  I.;  Drummond,  Character  and 
Authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  various  Intro- 
ductions. 

2.  Internal  Evidence.  Many  scholars  are  agreed  that 
the  author  must  have  been — 

(i)  A  Jew,  because  of  his  familiarity  with  Jewish  con- 
ceptions, points  of  view,  opinions,  usages,  observ- 
ances imagery ;  and  also  because  the  arrangement 
of  ideas,  structure  of  sentences,  and  even  the  vocab- 
ulary of  the  book  are  essentially  Hebrew. 

(2)  A  Jew  of  Palestine,  because  of  his  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  topography  of  Palestine,  and  especially 
of  Jerusalem,  which  was  destroyed  long  before  this 
book  appeared.  Also  shows  close  knowledge  of  the 
historical  circumstances  of  Palestine  in  the  time  of 
Jesus. 

(3)  A  contemporary  of  Jesus  and  an  eye-zvitness  of  His 
deeds,  because  he  relates  these  with  a  vividness  and 
circumstantial  precision  impossible  of  invention. 
Moreover,  the  author  claims  to  have  witnessed  what 
he  records.     (John  i,  14;  xix,  35.) 

(4)  An  apostle,  because  he  knows  the  thoughts  of  the 
disciples,  and  discloses  motives,  which  no  writer  of 
fiction  would  have  ascribed  to  them.  He  also  records 
the  emotions,  thoughts,  and  motives  of  Jesus. 

(5)  The  Apostle  John,  because  he  alone  fulfills  the  re- 
quirements of  such  intimate  knowledge  of  Jesus  and 
His  disciples  as  the  author  of  this  book  unquestion- 
ably had.  The  writer  declares  that  he  is  "the  dis- 
ciple whom  Jesus  loved,"  to  whom  Jesus  entrusted 
His  mother,  and  this  was  none  other  than  John  the 
Evangelist. 


4         STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

II.  THE  BIOGRAPHY  OF  JOHN. 

1.  Date  and  place  of  birth  unknown.    Probably  younger 

than  Jesus  and  the  youngest  of  the  disciples.  Native 
of  Galilee,  lived  on  the  shores  of  Gennesaret,  prob- 
ably at  Bethsaida,  though  possibly  at  Capernaum, 
which  was  near.  The  character  of  the  region  in  the 
time  of  Jesus  contrasted  with  present  conditions. 

2.  Family,  composed  of  four  persons,  Zebedee  the  father, 

Salome  the  mother,  James  the  brother,  and  John. 
Was  Salome  the  sister  of  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus  ? 
Famil}^  in  comfortable  circumstances.  According  to 
Mark  i,  20,  Zebedee  had  "hired  servants."  Salome 
was  among  those  who  ministered  to  Jesus  and  the 
disciples,  and  accompanied  them.  (Luke  viii,  3  ;  Matt, 
xxvii,  56.)  John  evidently  had  a  house  of  his  own. 
(John  xix,  2y),  into  which  he  received  the  mother  of 
Jesus  after  the  crucifixion.  The  business  of  fishing 
was  lucrative.  John  and  James  were  partners  of 
Simon.     (Luke  v,  10.) 

3.  John's  first  appearance.     Attracted  southward  from 

Galilee  to  the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist,  becomes 
his  disciple.  Jesus  finds  him  in  John's  company. 
(John  i,  35.)  Follows  Jesus,  and  with  Andrew  is 
invited  to  the  place  where  Jesus  is  staying.  Andrew 
summons  Peter,  and  John  calls  James.  (John  i, 
37-42.) 

4.  John's  final  call  to  discipleship.     Remained  awhile 

in  intercourse  with  Jesus,  who  then  apparently 
sends  the  young  men  back  to  their  families.  John 
while  pursuing  his  accustomed  occupation  on  the  Sea 
of  Galilee  is  later  near  Capernaum  called  to  perma- 
nent discipleship.  (Matt,  iv,  18-22,  and  parallel  pas- 
sages.) 

5.  Appointment  to  the  apostleship.    When  the  disciples 

became  more  numerous  Jesus  chose  twelve  who  were 
to  be  apostles.  (Luke  vi,  12-16;  Mark  iii,  13,  14.) 
John  stood  in  the  front  rank  of  these. 


THE  AUTHOR.  5 

6.  The  inner  circle  of  three.     Peter,  James,  and  John 

are  in  an  especial  sense  the  confidential  friends  of 
Jesus.  They  alone  are  admitted  to  the  raising  of  the 
ruler's  daughter,  to  the  glories  of  the  transfiguration, 
to  the  agonizing  struggle  in  Gethsemane. 

7.  The  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved.     (John  xiii,  23  ;  xix, 

26 ;  XX,  2  ;  xxi,  7,  20.)  This  designation  the  Church 
fathers  recognized,  and  John  claimed.  "To  disguise 
his  own  name  under  this  paraphrase  was  not  to 
glorify  the  man ;  it  was  to  exalt  the  tenderness  of 
Him  who  had  deigned  to  stoop  so  low." — Godet. 
Compare  Paul's  designation  of  himself  in  2  Cor.  xii, 
2-5.  Perhaps  this  title  was  given  to  John  by  others 
before  he  used  it  himself.  Its  propriety  is  apparent 
when  it  is  remembered  that  he  uses  it  almost  apolo- 
getically, as  an  explanation  of  the  prominent  part 
he  played  on  several  important  occasions. 

8.  His  history  associated  with  that  of  Jesus  until  the 

Ascension.  Always  with  his  Master.  The  confiden- 
tial one  at  the  last  supper.  Follows  Jesus  to  judg- 
ment and  death.  The  one  apostle  who  dared  to  stand 
beside  the  cross,  and  received  the  mother  of  Jesus 
as  a  farewell  charge.  (John  xviii,  15;  xix,  26,  27.) 
Is  at  the  tomb  with  Peter  on  Easter  morning.  With 
him  in  Galilee  resuming  the  old  calling,  figures  con- 
spicuously in  the  closing  episode  of  this  gospel 
(xxi). 

9.  Authentic  history  after  Pentecost.     Fills  a  position 

secondary  to  that  of  Peter,  though  usually  associated 
with  him.  Illustration  in  Acts  iii,  4.  Accompanies 
Peter  to  Samaria  to  finish  the  work  begun  by  Philip, 
(Acts  viii.)  On  his  return  to  Jerusalem  it  is  un- 
certain whither  he  goes.  Not  there  when  Paul  first 
visited  the  city.  (Gal.  i,  18,  19.)  Supposed  by  some 
that  during  this  period  he  was  caring  for  the  mother 
of  Jesus,  perhaps  in  his  own  home.  This  would  ex- 
plain, it  is  said,  the  small  part  he  took  in  the  earliest 
missionary  work  of  the  Church.     The  Virgin  pre- 


6         STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

sumed  to  have  died  about  48  A,  D.,  after  which  John 
probably  assumed  a  larger  share  in  directing  the 
Christian  movement.  Twelve  or  fifteen  years  after 
the  return  from  Samaria,  and  shortly  after  the  sup- 
posed date  of  Mary's  death,  he  was  at  the  Council 
of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  50  or  51.  (Acts  xv.)  He  is 
one  of  the  apostles  with  whom  Paul  confers,  and  is 
ranked  by  him  as  one  of  "the  pillars  of  the  Church." 
(Gal.  ii,  9.)  How  long  he  remained  in  Jerusalem 
and  why  he  left  are  unknown.  The  New  Testament 
gives  no  further  information  concerning  him,  except 
what  he  records  of  himself  in  Rev.  i,  9,  that  he  was 
"in  the  island  called  Patmos  for  the  word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus." 

10.  Later  traditions.  After  the  Council  of  Jerusalem 
John  disappears  from  view  until  the  time  when  tra- 
dition describes  him  as  fulfilling  his  apostleship 
among  the  Churches  of  Asia  Minor.  Probably  did 
not  go  thither  until  after  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem. Persecution  following  the  martyrdom  of 
Stephen  would  lessen  John's  attachment  to  the  city. 
Doubtless  accompanied  the  Christians  emigrating  to 
Perea  when  the  war  against  the  Romans  broke  out. 
This  departure  occurred  in  67,  At  a  later  period, 
in  consequence  of  the  death  of  Paul  and  others,  John 
removed  to  Asia  Minor  to  assist  the  Churches  thus 
bereaved.  Here  was  now  the  heart  of  Christendom, 
It  was  natural  that  he  should  establish  himself  in 
this  territory.  It  has  been  suggested  that  he  went 
to  the  Parthians  when  he  left  Jerusalem,  and  there 
is  a  tradition,  supported  by  TertuUian.  that  he  was 
at  Rome,  where  he  was  miraculously  preserved  from 
death  when  placed  in  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil,  but 
there  is  no  foundation  for  these  assumptions.  There 
is  trustworthy  evidence,  however,  of  his  appearance 
in  Asia  Minor  and  of  his  residence  at  Ephesus. 
Irenaeus  testifies  that  he  lived  there  until  the  time  of 
Trajan.  Tradition  has  it  that  during  some  perse- 
cutions he  was  exiled  to  the  island  of  Patmos.  That 
he  was  there  his  own  words  declare.     (Rev,  i,  9.) 


THE  AUTHOR.  7 

Domitian  is  said  to  have  been  the  Emperor  by  whom 
John  was  banished.  This  accords  with  the  fact  that 
under  this  sovereign  men  were  actually  exiled  for 
the  mere  crime  of  being  Christians.  Clement,  of 
Alexandria,  says  that  after  the  death  of  Domitian, 
John  returned  from  Patmos  to  Ephesus,  and  says  of 
his  later  years  in  Asia  Minor:  "He  visited  the 
Churches,  instituted  bishops  and  regulated  affairs." 

11.  The  end  of  his  life.    Attained  a  great  age.    Jerome 

says  he  died  about  the  year  lOO.  Irenseus  asserts 
that  he  lived  until  the  time  of  Trajan,  that  is,  until 
after  the  year  98.  According  to  Suidas  he  reached 
the  age  of  120  years,  which  is  improbable.  If,  as 
has  been  supposed,  he  was  from  20  to  25  years  old 
when  called  by  Jesus,  about  the  year  30,  he  was  from 
90  to  95,  about  the  year  100,  three  years  after  the 
accession  of  Trajan. 

12.  His  death.  The  idea  had  been  conceived  that  he 
would  be  exempt  from  death  because  of  what  Jesus 
had  said  to  Peter.  (John  xxi,  22.)  Even  his  death 
did  not  cause  this  expectation  to  cease.  Tradition 
that  his  grave  at  Ephesus,  where  Polycrates  says  he 
was  buried,  gave  evidence  that  its  occupant  was  still 
living,  the  earth  being  gently  moved  by  his  breath- 
ing. Some  have  even  insisted  that  he  was  taken  up 
to  heaven  after  the  manner  of  Enoch  and  Elijah. 
Tradition,  supported  by  the  testimony  of  Origen, 
avers  that  he  suffered  martyrdom. 

III.  THE  CHARACTER  AND  WORK  OF  JOHN. 

I.  Warmth  of  affection  and  clearness  of  intuition,  his 
leading  characteristics  morally  and  intellectually. 
These  would  inspire  close  attachment  to  Jesus.  His 
loving  and  sympathetic  disposition  has  been  empha- 
sized by  artists  and  writers.  But  he  was  a  man  of 
force  as  well  as  gentleness.  Capable  of  intense 
moral  indignation.  Tender  love  and  fierce  intoler- 
ance blended  in  his  character.  Hated  evil  as  fer- 
vently as  he  loved  righteousness.    With  him  sin  was 


8         STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

not  weakness,  but  wickedness.  Ardor  in  thought, 
word,  love,  and  hate — this  marks  the  beloved  dis- 
ciple. Sometimes  expressed  in  action  that  called  for 
rebuke.  As  knowledge  of  Christ  and  the  spirit  of 
the  gospel  deepened,  this  became  less  and  less  fre- 
quent. 

2.  Intensity  of  nature  leads  to  excesses.     Three  illus- 

trations :  ( I )  Forbids  the  stranger  to  cast  out  devils. 
(Mark  ix,  38;  Luke  ix,  49.)  (2)  Wants  to  call 
down  fire  on  the  Samaritan  villagers  because  of  their 
inhospitable  treatment  of  Jesus.  (Luke  ix,  54.) 
(3)  Salome  as  mouthpiece  for  her  sons,  John  and 
James,  who  share  her  desires,  begs  Christ  to  assign 
them  chief  places  in  His  kingdom.  (Matt,  xx,  20; 
Mark  x,  35.) 

3.  His  work.     Contrasted  with  that  of  Peter  and  Paul. 

Peter  had  practical,  organizing  ability.  Paul  pos- 
sessed argumentative,  dialectic  skill.  John  differs 
from  both.  Could  not  have  laid  foundations  like 
Peter,  nor  contended  like  Paul.  But  in  closing  pe- 
riod of  the  Apostolic  age  he  contributed  immensely 
toward  completing  the  development  of  the  primitive 
Church. 

4.  His  writings.     Three  epistles  bear  his  name.     He  is 

the  author  of  the  Apocalypse.  These  works — to- 
gether with  the  gospel — reveal  the  man.  John  finds 
in  Jesus  the  center  of  thought.  His  is  an  unique 
mind.  He  is  unlike  any  of  the  other  apostles.  He 
is  a  man  of  vision.  He  broods  over  the  facts  on 
which  he  has  fastened  attention,  and  then  soars  into 
heights  of  inspiring  thought.  The  other  evangelists 
had  the  same  deeds  of  Christ  before  them,  and  they 
record  many  of  them.  They  do  nothing  more.  John 
chooses  a  few  of  these  events  which  are  best  adapted 
in  his  view  to  serve  his  purpose,  which  is  to  influ- 
ence men  to  believe  in  Christ.  These  he  penetrates 
with  his  wonderful  insight,  and  from  them  presents 
a  picture  of  the  Master  which  is  the  most  satisfac- 
tory, as  it  is  undoubtedly  the  most  afccurate,  of  all  the 


THE  AUTHOR.  9 

portraits  made  by  the  contemporaries  of  Jesus.  In 
doing  this  he  unconsciously  draws  a  picture  of  him- 
self, in  which  ones  sees  reflected  the  image  of  the 
Lord. 


Hymn  No.  368. 

O  that  I  could,  with  favored  John, 
Recline  my  weary  head  upon 

The  dear  Redeemer's  breast ! 
From  care,  and  sin,  and  sorrow  free, 
Give  me,  O  Lord,  to  find  in  Thee 
My  everlasting  rest! 

— Charles  Wesle). 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Am  I  such  a  disciple  as  Jesus  can  love? 

2.  Is  my  zeal  for  religion  pure  devotion  to  Him? 

3.  Am  I  an  apostle  as  well  as  a  disciple? 


The  Beloved  Disciple. 

"That  disciple  whofn  Jesus  loved." — John  xxi,  7. 

Lord  Brooke  directed  that  his  tomb  should  be  in- 
scribed with  the  words,  "Friend  to  Sir  Philip  Sidney." 
John  the  Evangelist  claimed  for  himself  the  rarer  dis- 
tinction of  "That  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved."  His  fame 
would  have  been  secure  if  he  had  rested  it  solely  upon 
his  writings,  for  it  is  plain  that  only  the  most  gifted 
mind  could  have  produced  them.  But  the  beautiful  title 
which  lie  appropriated  to  himself  is  a  chaplet  of  unfad- 
ing glory.  Seneca  once  told  a  courtier  that  he  had  no 
reason  to  mourn  for  the  loss  of  his  son  or  anything  else, 
since  Csesar  was  his  friend.  John  esteemed  his  confi- 
dential-relations with  Jesus  recompense  enough  for  the 
sacrifice  of  a  lifetime. 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  with  his  own  hands,  placed  the 


10       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

imperial  crown  upon  his  head,  not  even  suffering  the 
pope  to  do  it  for  him.  John  with  his  own  pen  affixed 
this  noble  designation  to  himself,  though  we  may  assume 
that  it  was  conceded  to  him  as  his  right  by  the  other 
disciples.  Indeed,  it  may  have  been  assigned  to  him 
by  his  comrades  long  before  he  ventured  to  apply  it  to 
himself.  In  any  case  it  is  a  modest  periphrasis  to  avoid 
the  undue  use  of  the  pronoun  of  the  first  person  by  one 
who  was  constantly  describing  events  of  which  he  was 
an  eye-witness.  It  denotes  diffidence  rather  than  arro- 
gance. It  clearly  shows  John's  consciousness  of  the 
amazing  condescension  of  Jesus  in  admitting  him  to  the 
secret  sanctuary  of  His  personal  affection.  Moreover, 
it  enables  him  to  explain  how  he  could  know  the  motives, 
emotions,  thoughts,  and  impulses  of  Jesus  so  familiarly. 
Often  he  reveals  acquaintance  with  the  inmost  mind  of 
Jesus.  The  mystery  of  his  possessing  this  knowledge 
is  solved  when  it  is  known  that  he  is  "that  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved." 

What  matters  it  how  the  title  came  to  him,  if  it  is 
justified  by  the  recognized  relations  of  John  to  Jesus? 
Was  not  he  of  the  sacred  triumvirate  who  witnessed 
the  most  divine  acts  of  Jesus?  Did  not  he  behold  the 
celestial  splendors  of  the  Transfiguration?  Did  not  he 
enter  the  shadows  of  Gethsemane  with  the  Master  ?  Did 
not  he  recline  on  the  bosom  of  Jesus  at  the  Last  Supper  ? 
Did  not  Jesus  show  him  marks  of  unusual  considerateness 
and  affection  at  the  interview  by  the  lakeside  after  the 
resurrection?  Above  all,  did  not  the  Master  commit 
His  own  mother  to  the  care  of  John,  as  He  turned  His 
dying  glance  upon  the  weeping  group  around  the  Cross? 
Could  there  be  any  higher  token  of  confidence  and  love? 


It  is  written  of  Jesus  by  John  himself  that,  "having 
loved  His  own  which  were  in  the  world.  He  loved  them 
to  the  end,"  or  "to  the  uttermost" — every  one  of  tSem. 
Yet  He  left  the  impression  on  John  that  there  was  one 
disciple  whom  He  loved  more  fondly  than  any  other. 
Could  John  be  deceived?    Could  the  Lord  who  loved  all 


THE  AUTHOR.  11 

men  enough  to  die  for  them  have  a  stronger  passion  for 
one  than  for  another?  Let  the  mother  who  has  many 
children  answer — not  in  pubHc,  but  in  the  silence  of  her 
soul.  What  a  miracle  is  wrapped  up  in  that  word  "love !" 
What  an  infinity  of  power  in  it !  What  a  variety  of  ex- 
pression without  conflict !  A  man  loves  his  mother,  his 
wife,  his  child,  his  country,  his  God — each  of  them  with 
all  his  heart,  yet  differently  in  every  instance,  and  with- 
out competition  or  rivalry,  and  one  of  them  more  than 
all.  It  is  the  supreme  paradox  of  life.  Jesus  illustrated 
it  in  His  relation  to  John.  When  Jonathan  Edwards  was 
dying  he  bade  farewell  to  his  friends  and  family  who 
were  about  his  bedside,  and  then  said,  "Now,  where  is 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  my  true  and  never  failing  friend?" 
He  did  not  love  his  household  less ;  he  loved  his  Savior 
more. 

Did  Jesus  love  Judas  Iscariot?  There  can  be  no 
doubt  of  it.  It  was  He  who  said,  "Love  your  enemies." 
He  did  not  say,  "Like  your  enemies."  He  never  com- 
mands impossibilities.  There  are  two  words  in  the  New 
Testament  for  "love."  One  of  them  denotes  that  exalted 
spiritual  passion  which  Paul  celebrates  in  the  thirteenth 
chapter  of  First  Corinthians.  It  is  this  term  which  Jesus 
uses  when  He  bids  us  love  our  enemies.  There  is  an- 
other word  which  is  warmer,  but  less  exalted.  It  ex- 
presses more  precisely  a  natural  affection  based  on  in- 
stinctive affinities.  Jesus  could  employ  both  of  these 
terms  with  John.  He  could  use  only  one  of  them  with 
Judas  Iscariot.  He  loved  the  latter,  but  He  did  not  like 
him. 

A  friend  said  of  Thoreau:  "I  love  Henry,  but  I  can 
not  like  him ;  and  as  for  taking  his  arm,  I  should  as  soon 
think  of  taking  the  arm  of  an  elm-tree."  The  devout 
Christian  realizes  that  he  must  love  every  soul  of  man, 
or  prove  false  to  his  religion.  He  knows  also  that  he 
can  not  like  those  persons  who  are  foreign  to  his  spirit. 
Jesus  loved  John  in  all  the  ways  it  is  possible  for  us  to 
conceive  of  love  subsisting  between  two  holy  men. 


12       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

There  was  a  certain  refinement  of  mind  and  spirit  in 
John  which  commanded  the  love  of  Jesus.  This  is 
evinced  in  his  writings.  It  is  a  blunder  to  speak  of  John 
as  "a  rude  fisherman."  He  possessed  an  unusually  quick 
intelligence.  We  have  had  learned  blacksmiths,  like 
Elihu  Burritt,  who  acquired  an  almost  incredible  number 
of  languages  while  laboring  at  his  forge ;  scholarly  shoe- 
makers, like  Samuel  Drew,  who  produced  two  notable 
books  on  profound  subjects  while  he  was  engaged  at 
the  cobbler's  bench,  and  was  honored  with  a  degree  from 
a  great  university ;  erudite  artisans  in  many  fields  of  in- 
quiry. There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  a  fisherman  in 
Galilee  must  needs  be  intellectually  deficient.  John  cer- 
tainly had  a  mind  of  marvelous  acuteness.  The  other 
disciples  saw  the  outer  vesture  of  Christ's  life ;  He  looked 
through  the  events  into  the  heart  of  things.  He  was  an 
idealist.  He  was  a  mystic.  He  was  a  poet.  He  had 
vision.  He  describes  what  he  beheld  as  no  other  apostle 
could  do. 

Deep  intellectual  insight  was  united  to  a  beautiful 
delicacy  of  sentiment  in  his  composition.  The  very  use 
of  the  phrase  by  which  he  characterizes  himself — "that 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved" — is  proof  of  it.  He  was  a 
man  of  candor,  warmth,  feeling,  affection.  A  lovable 
man  was  he.  His  contemplative  spirit,  his  meditative 
habit,  his  far-seeing  mind  would  inevitably  captivate  the 
supreme  intellect  in  history.  His  sweet  brotherliness,  his 
genius  for  comradeship,  his  power  to  creep  into  every 
fold  of  a  friend's  nature  would  charm  the  greatest  heart 
in  the  world.  Jesus  loved  him  by  the  compulsion  of  the 
man's  character. 


There  was  a  certain  ardor  of  temperament  in  John 
which  drew  him  to  Jesus.  He  must  not  be  conceived  as 
a  soft,  unduly  gentle,  almost  effeminate  man.  The  artists 
have  wronged  him  in  this  respect.  Who  told  them  that 
love  belongs  only  to  the  weak?  John  was  a  virile,  mus- 
cular, warm-blooded  saint.  Indeed,  he  seems  like  no 
saint  at  all  when  we  remember  how  he  forbade  a  man  to 
cast  out  devils  because  he  did  not  train  in  Christ's  com- 


THE  AUTHOR.  13 

pany,  how  he  yearned  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  on 
the  Samaritans  who  would  not  entertain  Jesus,  and  how 
he  readily  acquiesced  in  his  mother's  ambitious  request 
that  her  sons  should  have  the  best  places  in  the  new  king- 
dom. But  all  this  reveals  a  nature  of  intensity,  and  gives 
reasonableness  to  the  term  applied  to  John  and  James — 
Boanerges,  "Sons  of  Thunder." 

Tradition  has  it  that,  long  after  John  had  become  the 
greatest  figure  in  the  Christian  Church  of  Asia  Minor, 
going  one  day  to  bathe  at  Ephesus,  and  finding  Cerin- 
thus,  the  heretic,  within,  he  rushed  out  without  bathing, 
crying:  "Let  us  flee,  lest  even  the  bath-house  fall  upon 
us,  for  Cerinthus,  the  enemy  of  the  truth,  is  within." 
The  story  may  be  fictitious,  but  it  harmonizes  with  John's 
known  hatred  of  falsehood,  and  with  his  ardor  of  soul, 
and  shows  him  to  have  been  anything  but  a  bloodless 
man. 

One  day  when  he  was  preaching  in  a  certain  town 
near  Ephesus  he  was  attracted  by  the  appearance  of  a 
young  man  in  his  audience,  and  on  his  departure  partic- 
ularly recommended  him  to  the  bishop  of  the  place,  who 
took  him  home  and  trained  him  for  baptism.  Later  the 
youth  fell  into  evil  practices  and  finally  renounced  his 
faith,  and  became  the  captain  of  a  band  of  robbers. 
When  John  returned  to  the  town  and  asked,  "Where  is 
the  pledge  entrusted  to  you  by  Christ  and  me?"  the 
bishop  replied,  "He  is  dead — dead  to  God,"  and  rehearsed 
the  sad  story  of  his  fall.  Then  the  apostle  obtained  a 
horse,  and  set  off  for  the  headquarters  of  the  bandits. 
He  was  captured  by  one  of  the  robbers,  and  carried  to 
their  captain,  who  recognizing  his  prisoner  was  about 
to  flee.  But  John  held  him,  reasoned  with  him,  prayed 
with  him,  and  finally  brought  the  prodigal  to  penitence 
and  renewed  fellowship  with  the  Church.  Such  an  evan- 
gelist must  have  had  an  enthusiastic  nature. 

This  would  endear  him  to  Jesus,  whose  own  enthu- 
siasm was  so  consuming  that  it  constrained  him  to  work 
without  food  or  rest,  until  his  own  kinsmen  declared  he 
was  beside  himself.  It  is  well  to  remember  that  if  we 
desire  the  special  favor  of  Jesus  we  must  be  earnestness 
personified. 


14       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Another  element  in  John's  character  which  doubtless 
made  him  attractive  to  Jesus  was  his  ability  to  under- 
stand the  Master  and  to  sympathize  with  His  point  of 
view.  Peter  was  always  blundering.  Thomas  was  al- 
ways doubting.  Philip  was  always  questioning.  The 
majority  were  painfully  obtuse.  But  John  appears  to 
have  understood  the  Lord  with  singular  sagacity.  He 
was  deeply  drawn  to  the  ideals  of  Jesus.  He  gravitated 
naturally  to  the  Master's  position. 

Says  Stalker :  "Of  two  friends  of  Alexander  the  Great 
the  historian  Plutarch  calls  one  Philo-Basileus — that  is, 
the  friend  of  the  king ;  and  the  other  Philo-Alexandros — 
that  is,  the  friend  of  Alexander.  Similarly  some  one  has 
said  St.  Peter  was  Philo-Christos,  the  friend  of  the 
Christ ;  but  St.  John  was  Philo-Jesus,  the  friend  of  Jesus. 
This  touches  the  quick :  Peter  was  attached  to  the  person 
who  filled  the  office  of  Messiah,  John  to  the  person  Him- 
self. And  this  is  a  distinction  which  marks  different 
types  of  Christian  piety  in  all  ages."  We  know  that 
John  was  devoted  to  Jesus  because  he  loved  Him  as  a 
man,  but  we  also  know  that  John  was  mastered  by  the 
conviction  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  a  fact  that 
very  slowly  penetrated  the  minds  of  the  other  disciples. 
We  all  feel  an  affection  for  any  one  who  understands  us 
in  a  world  where  misrepresentation  flourishes,  and  John's 
sympathetic  appreciation  of  Jesus  was  very  grateful  to 
the  Master.  This,  too,  will  account  for  the  steadfastness 
of  John,  who  showed  greater  loyalty  to  Jesus  than  any 
other  disciple ;  for  when  all  had  forsaken  Him  and  fled. 
John  recovered  immediately  from  panic,  and  hastened 
after  his  Lord  to  the  palace  of  the  high  priest,  and  passed 
within  before  the  gate  was  shut.  It  is  a  fair  presump- 
tion from  the  narrative  that  in  all  the  subsequent  events 
of  the  Master's  experience  up  to  the  moment  of  His  death 
John  was  at  hand,  and  we  know  how  early  he  came  to 
the  tomb  of  Christ  on  the  day  of  resurrection.  Well 
sings  Emerson : 

"A  ruddy  drop  of  manly  blood 
The  surging  sea  outweighs. 
The  world  uncertain  comes  and  goes; 
The  lover  rooted  stays. 


THE  AUTHOR.  15 

John  responded  to  Jesus  as  no  other  apostle  seems 
to  have  done.  He  was  what  Christ  made  him.  He  dis- 
cerned what  Jesus  was  always  trying  to  teach  His  dis- 
ciples— that  love  is  the  essence  of  religion.  John  is  the 
only  evangelist  who  records  that  final  series  of  discourses 
in  which  Jesus  repeatedly  emphasizes  the  necessity  for 
His  followers  to  love  one  another.  In  his  first  Epistle, 
which  is  a  kind  of  guide-book  to  his  Gospel,  he  brings 
out  the  office  of  love  with  remarkable  clearness.  So  fully 
did  he  enter  into  the  mind  of  Jesus  in  this  respect,  and 
in  other  particulars  of  his  teaching,  that  the  reader  of 
his  Gospel  is  often  puzzled  to  know  whether  John  is  re- 
cording the  words  of  Jesus,  or  speaking  in  his  own  lan- 
guage. 

Jerome's  familiar  story  is  to  the  point.  Toward  the 
very  end  of  the  apostle's  life,  when  he  was  so  infirm  that 
he  had  to  be  carried  to  the  church,  and  was  too  weak 
to  preach,  he  would  content  himself  with  simply  saying, 
"Little  children,  love  one  another."  A.nd  when  his  aud- 
itors would  inquire,  "Master,  why  dost  thou  always  say 
this?"  he  would  reply,  "It  is  the  Lord's  command,  and  if 
this  alone  is  done  it  is  enough." 

Aristotle  being  asked  what  is  a  friend,  replied,  "One 
soul  in  two  bodies."  As  nearly  as  one  human  being  can 
absorb  and  express  another,  John  became  the  alter  ego 
of  Jesus.  Love  has  been  called  a  species  of  self-flattery, 
because  we  love  those  persons  who  in  some  inscrutable 
way  reflect  our  own  souls.  We  may  reverently  say  that 
Jesus  fondly  cherished  John  because  in  him,  as  in  a 
mirror,  he  saw  his  own  image  reproduced. 

Giotto  has  delineated  St.  John  in  a  notable  fresco  at 
Padua.  "The  form  of  the  ascending  saint  is  made  visible 
through  a  reticulation  of  rays  of  light  in  colors  as  splen- 
did as  ever  came  from  mortal  pencil ;  but  the  rays  issue 
entirely  from  the  Savior,  whose  face  and  form  are  full 
before  him."  It  is  a  faithful  portrait  of  "that  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved." 


II. 
THE  GOSPEL 

That  little  book  is  a  still  deeper  sea,  in  which  the  sun 
and  stars  are  mirrored,  and  if  there  are  eternal  truths  (and 
such  there  are)  for  the  human  race,  they  are  found  in  the 
Gospel  of  John. — Herder, 

1.  Its  greatness  as  a  composition.     Sometimes  called 

the  "Gospel  of  Eternity."  Also  the  "Gospel  of 
Love."  So  important  to  the  Christian  faith  that  it 
has  been  the  object  of  constant  assault  by  those  who 
seek  the  overthrow  of  evangelical  religion.  Its  im- 
portance can  scarcely  be  overstated,  though  it  may 
be  incorrectly  stated.  When  Lessing  declares  that, 
by  teaching  a  loftier  conception  of  the  person  of 
Christ  than  had  hitherto  been  held,  John  saved  Chris- 
tianity, which  without  his  help  would  have  disap- 
peared as  a  Jewish  sect,  he  ignores  the  fact  that  Paul 
had  completed  his  mission  to  the  Gentiles  before  the 
publication  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  that  in  Eph- 
esus,  where  it  was  produced,  the  Pauline  conception 
of  the  person  of  Christ,  which  is  not  less  lofty  than 
the  Johannine,  had  already  attained  a  central  po- 
sition in  the  tenets  of  the  Christian  Church. 

2.  The  problem  of  John's  ability  to  write  it.     How 

could  a  fisherman  of  Galilee  acquire  such  profound 
wisdom  as  this  work  exhibits?  Consider  that  this 
book  has  endured  nearly  two  thousand  years,  and 
seems  more  valuable  now  than  ever.  ( i )  Too  much 
stress  must  not  be  placed  on  the  declaration  in  Acts 
iv,  13,  that  Peter  and  John  were  "unlearned  and 
ignorant  men,"  a  phrase  which  serves  chiefly  to 
mark  their  separation  from  the  professionally  learned 
16 


THE  GOSPEL.  17 

classes.  There  was  no  incompatibility  between  the 
position  of  a  hand-worker  and  the  possession  of  a 
fair  measure  of  Hebrew  culture.  Moreover,  (2) 
John  is  an  example  of  native  genius.  History  full 
of  such  instances:  Bunyan,  Shakespeare,  Lincoln, 
the  early  Greek  philosophers,  whose  intellectual 
powers  were  unaided  by  scientific  appliances  and 
modern  opportunities  for  investigation.  (3)  John's 
mind  brought  into  intimate  contact  with  the  mind  of 
Jesus.  The  greatest  intellect  of  the  race  would  in- 
flame the  soul  of  a  thinker  like  John  through  the 
mere  power  of  association.  (4)  The  added  fact  of 
divine  inspiration  for  a  great  purpose.  Consider 
illustrations  of  this  in  the  Old  Testament,  including 
that  of  Bezaleel.     (Exod.  xxxi,  2-5.) 

Where  and  when  written.  At  Ephesus,  in  Asia 
Minor,  as  seems  certain.  Long  after  the  other  gos- 
pels had  appeared.  Some  time  before  A.  D.  125, 
because  Basileides,  who  quotes  it,  wrote  about  that 
date.  Somewhere  between  80  and  95  A.  D.  scholars 
agree.  When  the  writer  had  reached  maturity.  If 
at  an  earlier  period,  would  have  been  a  different 
book  in  form  and  essence.  The  author  is  evidently 
an  old  man  looking  back,  (vii,  39;  xxi,  19.)  Shows 
a  marked  development  of  doctrine,  when  compared 
with  the  other  gospels.  Has  been  conjectured  that 
the  first  twenty  chapters  were  written  some  time  be- 
fore the  gospel  was  published,  the  last  chapter  being 
added  at  a  later  period,  and  the  whole  then  given  to 
the  Church,  The  ripe  fruit  of  long  thought.  Evi- 
dence that  it  is  an  old  man's  book  in  the  particularity 
with  which  small  things  are  noticed.  Illustrations : 
descriptions  of  the  Wedding  at  Cana,  the  Draught 
of  Fishes,  the  Feeding  of  Five  Thousand. 

Occasion  of  its  composition.  Evidence  to  show  that 
the  gospel  was  written  at  the  request  of  disciples  and 
elders  in  Asia  Minor,  perhaps  to  preserve  in  perma- 
nent form  John's  oral  gospel  delivered  in  their  hear- 
ing from  time  to  time.  This  supposition  confirmed 
2 


18       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

by  the  testimony  of  the  Muratorian  Fragment, 
Clement  of  Alexandria,  Jerome,  and  others.  Eu- 
sebius  says:  "The  apostle  being  urged,  it  is  said,  by 
his  friends,  wrote  the  things  which  the  first  evan- 
gelists had  omitted."  Possibly  the  differences  be- 
tween John's  oral  gospel  and  the  records  of  the  other 
evangelists  led  to  this  request. 

5.  Aims  of  the  Gospel.     Several  have  been  suggested: 

( 1 )  Instruction  of  the  Church.  Historical  and  prac- 
tical, as  intimated  by  the  Muratorian  Fragment, 
which  declares  that  John  related  the  narrative ;  the 
other  apostles  present  reviewed,  criticised,  revised. 

(2)  To  supplement  the  accounts  of  the  other  evan- 
gelists. So  Eusebius  asserts.  This  illustrated  by 
the  following  facts :  John  devotes  himself  largely  to 
the  Judsean  ministry,  the  other  writers  confining 
themselves  almost  wholly  to  the  work  in  Galilee; 
John  commemorates  the  interviews  of  Jesus  with  in- 
dividuals, the  others  describe  more  fully  His  life  in 
public;  John  deals  with  the  spiritual  import  of 
Christ's  life,  the  others  attend  more  largely  to  the 
external  features  of  His  career.  It  is  from  John 
that  we  learn  that  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus  lasted 
three  years,  whereas  from  the  Synoptists  we  should 
have  inferred  that  it  covered  but  one  year,  (3)  To 
refute  heretical  teachings.  This  is  the  claim  of 
Irenaeus  and  Jerome.  He  lived  in  a  region  infested 
with  false  teachers.  Doubtless  his  righteous  soul 
was  vexed.  (4)  To  confirm  and  strengthen  the  faith 
of  the  Church  in  the  Messiahship  and  Divinity  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Apparently  intended  first  for  believers, 
who  required  to  be  enriched  and  developed.  But 
also  adapted  to  convince  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  who 
were  open-minded.  (5)  To  bring  men  to  eternal 
life.  This  is  the  supreme  aim,  as  declared  by  John 
himself.  "These  are  written  that  ye  might  believe 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God ;  and  that 
believing  ye  might  have  life  through  His  name." 
(John  XX,  31.)     In  pursuance  of  this  object  he  did 


THE  GOSPEL.  19 

write  a  life  of  Christ  from  one  point  of  view;  he 
did  supplement  the  Synoptists,  though  this  was  not 
his  main  purpose;  he  did  refute  errors,  though  this 
was  not  his  chief  aim ;  he  wrote  to  convince,  from 
his  own  experience  and  observation,  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  of  God,  and  that  faith  in  Him  brings  eternal 
life. 

Characteristics  of  the  Gospel,  In  accomplishing  this 
purpose  John  pursues  an  eclectic  method.  He 
chooses  those  facts  in  Christ's  life,  and  employs  those 
sayings  of  the  Master  which  he  believes  are  best 
calculated  to  serve  his  end.  (i)  Omissions.  Does 
not  avail  himself  of  all  the  materials  at  his  disposal. 
"Many  other  signs  truly  did  Jesus  .  .  .  but  these 
are  written,"  etc,  (John  xx,  30,  31.)  No  parables, 
unless  the  allegories  of  the  good  shepherd  and  the 
vine  can  be  so  regarded.  No  genealogy,  infancy, 
youth,  or  anything  in  the  first  thirty  years  of  our 
Lord's  life.  Baptism,  temptation,  transfiguration 
omitted.  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Lord's  Prayer, 
Lord's  Supper,  agony  in  Gethsemane,  ascension  not 
mentioned.  No  proverbs,  or  stories  about  children, 
scribes,  lepers,  demons,  publicans.  (2)  Additions. 
Certain  striking  incidents :  wedding  at  Cana,  inter- 
views with  Nicodemus  and  the  woman  of  Samaria, 
healing  the  nobleman's  son  and  the  man  born  blind, 
raising  of  Lazarus ;  certain  wonderful  discourses 
such  as  that  on  the  bread  of  life,  the  farewell  ad- 
dresses, the  priestly  prayer  on  the  last  night.  (3) 
Arrangement  of  matter.  Announces  his  theme  in 
the  prologue  (i,  1-18)  and  proceeds  to  use  his  ma- 
terials with  this  scheme  in  constant  view.  Scenes 
from  the  life  of  Christ  are  produced  in  order  to  lead 
to  a  cumulative  effect  in  the  end,  similar  to  that  in 
the  experience  of  Thomas,  who  cries  at  last,  "My 
Lord  and  my  God!"  Shows  final  results  in  belief 
or  unbelief,  according  as  men  accept  or  reject  Him. 
(4)  Artistic  elements.  Fine  literary  form.  Great 
variety.     "Alternation  of  incident  and  interlude,  of 


20       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

story  and  sermon,  of  action  and  discourse."  A  rare 
balancing  of  incideni:.  Examples:  the  wedding  at 
Cana  —  lightsome  and  festive  —  over  against  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple — stern  and  dark ;  the  con- 
versation with  Nicodemus — a  reputable  man,  at 
night,  over  against  the  conversation  with  the  Samar- 
itan woman — a  disreputable  person,  at  full  noon- 
day. By  reason  of  this  skill  the  interest  never  flags. 
(5)  Dramatic  movement.  The  catastrophe  inti- 
mated at  the  beginning.  "He  came  unto  His  own, 
and  His  own  received  Him  not."  (John  i,  11.) 
Plot  develops  slowly,  but  surely.  Action  confined 
chiefly  to  Judaea,  and  much  of  it  to  the  doomed  city 
of  Jerusalem.  Clouds  continue  to  gather  until  the 
storm  breaks.  Twofold  climax:  Belief  develops 
into  conviction  of  Christ's  divinty ;  unbelief  ripens 
into  murder.  (6)  Portrait  of  Jesus.  Presents  the 
Lord  as  He  appeared  to  him.  Wishes  others  to  see 
Him  in  the  same  fashion.  Does  not  write  a  detailed 
biography.  Others  have  attempted  this  with  varied 
success.  He  will  let  Jesus  talk  and  act  for  Himself. 
A  divine  beauty  thus  irradiated  from  the  narratives. 
The  unbroken  union  of  Christ  with  His  Father  dis- 
played in  his  gospel.  "The  heavenly  element  which 
forms  the  background  of  the  first  three  gospels  is 
the  atmosphere  of  the  fourth." — Plummer.  Hence 
a  much  larger  proportion  of  the  words  of  Christ  in 
this  gospel.  Discourses  play  a  very  important  part, 
especially  in  the  latter  half.  In  John's  work  the  dif- 
ference between  a  photograph  and  a  portrait  is  well 
illustrated.  (7)  The  theologian's  gospel.  John  not 
so  much  the  missionary,  though  he  was  an  ardent 
evangelist,  nor  the  expositor  of  prophecy,  though  he 
was  doubtless  an  earnest  and  effective  preacher ;  but 
he  was  essentially  a  theologian,  mastering  the  secrets 
of  the  higher  life,  and  seeking  to  destroy  error  by 
building  up  the  truth.  (8)  A  book  of  devotion. 
The  more  it  is  read  the  more  deeply  it  will  be  cher- 
ished by  the  devout  Christian,  for  it  reveals  what  it 
contains — the  mind  of  the  Lord. 


THE  GOSPEL.  21 

Plan  of  the  Gospel.  A  truly  philosophical  work.  The 
product  of  long  reflection  under  the  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  character  and  words  of  Jesus  are 
given  with  a  single  purpose.  From  beginning  to  end 
the  manifestation  of  Christ's  divine  glory  is  por- 
trayed, and  the  results  of  these  several  displays  are 
indicated  in  increasing  belief  on  the  part  of  Christ's 
disciples,  and  increasing  unbelief  on  the  part  of 
Christ's  enemies.  The  plan  coheres  about  this  cen- 
tral theme — the  exhibition  of  Christ's  glory;  the 
demonstration  of  Christ's  divinity. 


General  Outline. 

Prologue  or  Introduction.     (Chapter  i,  1-18.) 

Part  I. 

Manifestation  of  Christ's  Glory  Through  Works  and 
Words  Connected  With  His  Pubic  Ministry.  (Chap- 
ters i,  19 — xii.) 

Part  H. 

Manifestation    of    Christ's    Glory    Through    Works 
and  Words  Connected  With  His   Public  Ministry. 
(Chapters  i,   19 — xii.) 
Epilogue  or  Appendix.     (Chapter  xxi.) 


Hymn  No.  199. 

Upon  the  gospel's  sacred  page 

The  gathered  beams  of  ages  shine ; 

And,  as  it  hastens,  every  age 

But  makes  its  brightness  more  divine. 
— John  Bowrins.. 


Personal  Questions : 

Do  I  know  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  by  a  personal  ex- 
perience of  His  grace? 

Is  the  eternal  life  my  present  possession,  or  do  I  look 
for  it  only  in  the  future? 


22       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 
Expert  Testimony. 

"He  that  saw  it  hare  record,  and  his  record  is  true; 
and  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true,  that  ye  might  believe." 

—John  xix,  35. 

This  Gospel  was  written  by  the  last  man  who  could 
say,  "I  have  seen  the  Lord !"  We  come  very  near  to 
him  through  a  letter  which  Irenaeus  wrote  to  Florinus, 
his  old  school-fellow,  who  had  lapsed  into  heresy  the 
latter  part  of  the  second  century.  He  speaks  of  their 
relations  to  Polycarp,  the  bishop  of  Smyrna,  their  former 
master,  who  at  eighty-six  years  of  age  had  suffered 
martyrdom  about  A.  D.  155.  "I  can  tell,"  he  writes, 
"the  very  place  in  which  the  blessed  Polycarp  used  to 
sit  when  he  discoursed,  and  his  goings  out,  and  his  com- 
ings in,  and  his  manner  of  life,  and  his  personal  appear- 
ance, and  the  discourses  which  he  held  before  the  people, 
and  how  he  would  describe  his  intercourse  with  John  and 
with  the  rest  of  those  who  had  seen  the  Lord,  and  how  he 
would  relate  their  words.  And  whatsoever  things  he  had 
heard  from  them  about  the  Lord,  and  about  His  mir- 
acles, and  about  His  teaching,  Polycarp,  as  having  re- 
ceived them  from  eye-witnesses  of  the  life  of  the  Word, 
would  relate  altogether  in  accordance  with  the  Scrip- 
tures." Thus  John  told  Polycarp,  and  Polycarp  told 
Irenaeus,  and  Irenaeus  transmitted  to  his  successors  direct 
information  concerning  the  Christ. 

John  speaks  always  with  singular  emphasis.  "He 
knoweth  that  he  saith  true."  In  his  First  Epistle,  which 
is  a  companion  work  to  his  Gospel,  he  leads  off  with 
these  words :  'That  .  .  .  which  we  have  heard,  which 
we  have  seen  with  our  eyes,  which  we  have  looked  upon, 
and  our  hands  have  handled,  of  the  Word  of  life;  .  .  . 
that  which  we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you, 
that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship  with  us.  .  .  .  And  these 
things  write  we  unto  you,  that  your  joy  may  be  full." 
There  are  thirty  instances  in  which  the  verb  "to  know" 
is  employed  in  this  one  short  document ;  and  many  other 
passages  in  which  an  equivalent  is  used.     John  was  no 


THE  GOSPEL.  23 

agnostic.  Compare  for  illustrations,  i  John  ii,  3 ;  iii,  2 ; 
iii,  16;  V,  15;  V,  20.  The  conviction  with  which  such  a 
man  speaks  predisposes  us  to  believe  his  testimony. 

The  character  of  John  as  revealed  in  his  works  de- 
termines his  worth  as  a  witness.  Says  Bishop  Alexander : 
"He  has  left  the  Church  three  pictures  that  can  never 
fade — in  the  Gospel  the  picture  of  Christ,  in  the  Epistles 
the  picture  of  his  own  soul,  in  the  Apocalypse  the  picture 
of  Heaven."  In  the  portrait  of  himself  we  have  depicted 
a  pure-hearted  man  believing  in  Jesus  Christ  with  all  his 
soul,  and  writing  the  things  which  he  is  positive  occurred 
in  just  the  way  he  describes  them.  His  Gospel  is  no 
idealization ;  it  is  not  an  illustration  of  what  Jesus  might 
be  supposed  to  have  said  and  done  on  the  presumption 
that  He  was  what  He  claimed  to  be,  but  what  the  Master 
actually  did  say  and  do  under  the  precise  circumstances 
given. 

A  tradition  recited  by  Tertullian,  who  was  born  a  few 
years  after  John  died,  shows  with  what  stern  vener- 
ation for  veracity  the  Apostle  was  credited  by  his  con- 
temporaries. It  seems  that  a  presbyter  of  Asia  Minor 
confessed  that  he  was  the  author  of  an  apocryphal  work 
known  as  the  "Acts  of  Paul  and  Thecla."  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  writer  had  any  other  motive  than  to 
glorify  the  memory  of  Paul  by  a  piece  of  romantic,  im- 
aginative literature.  But  John  deposed  him  from  the 
ministry  without  hesitation,  so  profound  was  his  hatred 
for  anything  which  savored  of  untruth.  It  is  inconceiv- 
able that  a  man  with  such  a  temper  for  reality  could 
have  foisted  an  invention  upon  his  disciples ;  for  "the 
offense  of  the  Asiatic  presbyter  would  have  been  light 
indeed  compared  with  that  of  the  mendacious  Evangelist 
who  could  have  deliberately  fabricated  discourses  and 
narrated  miracles  which  he  dared  to  attribute  to  the  In- 
carnate Son  of  God." 

/^ 

The  difficulties  of  invention  are  almost  insurmount- 
able, in  view  of  the  exalted  character  of  the  Person  whose 


24       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

acts  and  words  are  described  in  the  Gospels.  The  finger 
of  forgery  betrays  itself  in  every  attempt  to  manufacture 
language  or  situations  for  Jesus.  Take  this  palpable  in- 
vention v^^hich  has  passed  down  to  us  with  the  name  of 
Papias  attached  to  it :  Some  contemporaries  of  John  de- 
clared that  they  had  heard  him  say  that  Jesus  was  wont 
to  affirm,  *'The  days  will  come  in  which  vines  shall  grow, 
each  having  ten  thousand  stems,  and  on  each  stem  ten 
thousand  branches,  and  on  each  branch  ten  thousand 
shoots,  and  on  each  shoot  ten  thousand  clusters,  and  on 
each  cluster  ten  thousand  grapes,  and  each  grape  when 
pressed  shall  give  twenty-five  firkins  of  wine.  And  when 
any  saint  shall  have  seized  one  cluster,  another  shall  cry, 
I  am  a  better  cluster,  take  me ;  through  me  bless  the 
Lord."  There  is  much  more  of  this  paltry  stuff,  all  im- 
pressively false  to  the  simplicity  and  reserve  of  Jesus  as 
portrayed  in  the  Gospels.  General  Lew  Wallace  soon 
found,  upon  gathering  his  material  for  "Ben  Hur,"  that 
it  would  be  utterly  impossible  to  employ  any  other  than 
the  words  of  Scripture,  if  he  introduced  Jesus  as  speak- 
ing in  any  part  of  his  narrative,  and  the  Master  ap- 
pears but  little  as  a  direct  participant  in  the  action 
of  his  book.  This  was  not  only  a  triumph  of  art,  but  a 
limitation  enforced  by  the  sublime  character  of  Jesus. 
Only  the  constant  companion  of  the  Master,  who  had 
caught  the  very  spirit  of  Jesus,  and  who  remembered  His 
exact  words,  could  have  produced  the  Fourth  Gospel. 

The  most  pregnant  sayings  of  Jesus,  and  especially 
those  which  are  paradoxical  and  epigrammatic,  any  acute 
mind  would  be  likely  to  remember.  But  the  men  who 
recorded  the  teachings  of  Jesus  were  aided  by  that  divine 
inspiration  which  had  been  guaranteed  them  by  their 
Lord.  "The  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  wh^m 
the  Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  what- 
soever I  have  said  unto  you." 

There  is  a  very  beautiful  legend  about  the  composition 
of  this  Gospel  which,  however  lacking  in  historical  verity, 
expresses  in  an  imaginative  way  the  unquestionable  fact 


THE  GOSPEL.  25 

that  this  great  work  was  the  product  of  prayer  and  medi- 
tation. The  Apostle  was  about  to  leave  Patmos  for 
Ephesus — so  the  story  runs — and  the  Christians  of  the 
island  entreated  him  to  place  in  writing  an  account  of 
the  Incarnation,  and  the  marvelous  life  of  the  Son  of 
God.  Then  John  in  company  with  some  chosen  friends 
withdrew  from  the  haunts  of  men  about  a  mile,  and  in 
a  sequestered  place  known  as  the  gorge  of  Rest  he  re- 
mained for  a  little  time,  and  then  ascended  the  mountain 
which  rose  above  it.  There  he  tarried  for  three  days ; 
at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  commanded  Prochorus 
to  descend  into  the  town  for  paper  and  ink.  After  two 
days  this  comrade  found  him  rapt  in  prayer  standing 
alone.  The  Apostle  said,  "Take  the  ink  and  paper,  and 
stand  on  my  right  hand."  Prochorus  did  so,  and  there 
was  a  great  lightning  and  thunder,  so  that  the  mountain 
shook,  and  Prochorus  fell  to  the  ground  as  if  dead. 
Whereupon  John  stretched  forth  his  hand  and  took  hold 
of  the  man,  and  said,  "Stand  up  at  this  spot  at  my  right 
hand.  Then  he  prayed  again,  and  after  his  prayer  said 
to  his  companion,  "Son  Prochorus,  what  thou  hearest 
from  my  lips  write  upon  the  sheets."  And  having  opened 
his  mouth,  as  he  was  standing  praying,  and  looking  up 
to  Heaven,  he  began  to  say:  "In  the  beginning  was  the 
Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was 
God."  And  so  following  on  he  spake  in  order,  standing 
as  he  was,  and  Prochorus  wrote  sitting  on  his  right. 

Stalker  recalls  a  picture  which  he  saw  from  the  pen- 
cil of  one  of  the  old  masters,  in  which  John  is  repre- 
sented as  having  just  written  the  first  words  of  the  Pro- 
logue, "when  he  pauses  and  lays  down  the  pen,  gazing 
awe-struck  at  the  characters  which  express  a  meaning 
far  beyond  his  own  powers  of  comprehension."  Fanciful 
as  are  such  delineations,  they  indicate  a  widely  prevalent 
conviction  that  the  Gospel  of  John  is  too  sublime  a  thing 
to  have  been  made  without  direct  divine  interposition. 

"We  know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath 
given  us  an  understanding,  that  we  may  know  Him  that 
is  true" — writes  John  in  his  first  Epistle.    That  is  the  fact 


26       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

to  which  the  Apostle  bears  witness.  He  says  in  effect: 
"We  looked  long  for  God  in  earth  and  sky  and  sea.  At 
last  He  came,  unveiling  Himself  in  the  figure  of  Jesus 
Christ.  There  could  be  no  deceit  about  the  appearance. 
We  saw,  we  heard,  we  handled.  He  remained  in  the 
world  long  enough  to  vindicate  His  claim.  Then,  slain 
in  the  body,  He  rose  from  the  dead.  After  a  sufficient 
period  to  prove  that  it  was  He  and  not  a  phantom,  He 
ascended  to  the  Majesty  on  high.  In  Him  we  saw  God. 
And,  while  we  perceived  omnipotence  in  His  works,  and 
omniscience  in  His  wisdom,  we  saw  something  else  of 
which  no  philosophy  ever  dreamed — His  love.  This  He 
revealed  in  acts  of  mercy,  but  especially  in  His  volun- 
tary sacrifice  for  our  sins.  'Hereby  perceive  we  the  love 
of  God,  because  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us.'  Not  only 
so,  but  He  has  set  us  in  the  right  angle  to  know  God. 
He  has  given  us  an  understanding.  His  love  has  illu- 
mined our  minds.  We  know  that  we  know  His  char- 
acter. In  this  atmosphere  of  love  which  He  has  created, 
we  know  Him  that  is  true." 

The  man's  positiveness  is  inspiring.  His  godly  life 
is  convincing.  His  character  is  the  best  proof  that  he 
has  seen  God.  He  reminds  us  of  the  certitude  of  Diog- 
enes, who  when  he  heard  Zeno  attempting  with  subtle 
reasonings  to  prove  there  was  no  motion^  suddenly  started 
walking.  When  Zeno  inquired  the  cause,  he  replied, 
"Hereby  I  confute  you,  and  prove  there  is  motion."  The 
evidence  of  the  Fourth  Gospel's  credibility  is  in  the  pure 
soul  of  him  whose  image  is  reflected  from  its  every  page. 
The  man  who  made  that  book  was  incapable  of  false- 
hood. And  his  motive  was  too  serious  for  any  but  a 
sincere  spirit  to  adopt.  He  is  eager  to  bring  his  readers 
to  eternal  life.  "Many  other  signs  truly  did  Jesus  in  the 
presence  of  His  disciples,  which  are  not  written  in  this 
book:  but  these  are  written,  that  ye  might  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God.  and  that  believing 
ye  might  have  life  through  His  !iame." 


THE  PROLOGUE. 

CHAPTER  I.  1-18. 

The  Fourth  Gospel  is  Hke  one  of  those  great  Egyptian 
temples  which  we  may  see  to  this  day  at  Dendera,  or 
Edfu,  or  Karnak — and  we  remember  that  the  Temple  on 
Mount  Zion  itself  was  of  the  same  general  type — ^the 
sanctuary  proper  is  approached  through  a  pylon,  a  mas- 
sive structure  overtopping  it  in  height  and  outflanking 
it  on  both  sides.  The  pylon  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  is,  of 
course,  the  Prologue. — Sanday. 

27 


III. 
THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION. 

CHAPTER  I.  1-18. 

The  gospel  of  the  Son  of  Thunder  opens  with  a  peal. 

— Plammer. 

The  Prologue  (i,  1-18)  is  a  wonderful  piece  of  writ- 
ing. Compare  with  introductions  to  the  other  gos- 
pels. Matthew  written  primarily  for  Jews;  hence 
opens  with  a  genealogical  table  calculated  to  estab- 
lish the  Messianic  claims  of  Jesus.  Mark  consists 
of  memorials  intended  to  present  to  the  Roman  mind 
the  personality  and  power  of  Jesus.  Opens  with  the 
heralding  of  John  the  Baptist.  Luke  undertakes  a 
formal  history,  and  announces  at  the  outset  his  aims, 
sources,  and  method,  accompanied  by  a  genealogy. 
John  omits  all  such  considerations.  He  begins  with 
eternity ;  he  will  portray  the  divine  Christ. 

The  purpose  of  the  Prologue  is  obvious.     Has  been 

compared  to  the  overture  of  an  oratorio  which 
"causes  all  the  principal  themes  to  be  sounded  which 
will  be  developed  in  the  sequel  of  the  work,  and 
forms  thus  a  prelude  to  the  entire  piece."  The  Pro- 
logue is  a  true  introduction,  summarizing  in  effect 
the  entire  gospel.  It  has  been  called  the  great  gate 
into  the  gospel,  with  three  doorways:  the  first  (1-5), 
theological;  the  second  (6-13),  historical;  the  third 
(14-18),  the  doorway  of  experience.  The  whole  is 
a  rational  conviction  obtained  from  a  close  obser- 
vation of  the  facts  in  the  life  of  Christ. 

The  Prologue  contains  three  great  dominant  ideas:  (i) 
The  Son  of  God  in  His  eternal  being  as  creator  of 
the  universe,  and  the  life  and  light  of  men.     (2)   The 
29 


30       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

revelation  of  the  Son  of  God  to  men,  and  their  man- 
ner of  receiving  Him.  (3)  The  perfect  disclosure 
of  God  the  Father  through  the  incarnation  of  the 
Son,  as  attested  by  personal  experience.  These  three 
ideas  will  be  found  throughout  the  entire  gospel. 

I.  THE  SON  OF  GOD  IN  HIS  ETERNAL  BEING.     (1-5.) 

I.  Called  the  Word  (Logos).  Term  introduced  without 
explanation.  It  is  assumed  that  readers  are  familiar 
with  it.  A  term  in  current  use.  Not  easily  under- 
stood by  persons  unacquainted  with  its  history.  Crit- 
ics have  charged  that  John  took  it  from  Philo,  a 
Jewish  philosopher,  of  Alexandria,  who  died  about 
ten  years  after  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus.  His  doc- 
trines were  a  mixture  of  Mosaic  religion  and  Greek 
philosophy.  John  would  not  be  discredited  if  this 
accusation  were  proven,  for  Philo's  views  were 
based,  not  only  on  the  teachings  of  Plato  and  the 
Stoics,  but  also  on  the  Old  Testament  and  the  later 
Hebrew  theology.  He  was  himself  a  devout  Jew, 
who  held  that  Greek  philosophy  was  divinely  in- 
spired as  well  as  the  Scriptures.  Whether  Philo  de- 
rived his  doctrine  of  the  Logos  (Word)  from  the 
Old  Testament  in  the  first  instance,  or  from  Plato, 
is  not  known,  though  the  presumption  is  that  he  got 
it  from  the  former,  in  view  of  his  early  religious 
training  as  a  Jew.  Whether  John  was  acquainted 
with  the  writings  of  Philo  or  not,  he  would  find  the 
doctrine  of  the  Logos  (Word)  suggested,  if  not  ac- 
tually taught,  in  the  ancient  Scriptures.  "The  word 
of  Jehovah"  is  a  phrase  often  used  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  frequently  with  the  idea  of  personification. 
There  were  also  Targums,  or  paraphrases  of  the  Old 
Testament  books,  in  common  use  in  his  day,  with 
which  John  and  his  disciples  were  doubtless  fa- 
miliar, in  which  "the  word  of  God"  was  personified, 
and  to  it  were  attributed  divine  power  and  wisdom, 
in  order  more  completely  to  separate  God  from  the 
world.  Example :  Adam  and  Eve  are  represented  as 
hearing  the  voice  of  "the  word  of  the  Lord,"  and 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION.     31 

''the  word  of  the  Lord"  calls  unto  Adam.  (Gen. 
iii,  8,  9.)  This  phraseology  illustrates  the  hesitancy 
of  the  Jews  to  speak  of  God  as  acting  directly  upon 
the  world.  This  disposition  was  still  more  marked 
in  a  Jew  who  had  been  tinged  with  Greek  philosophy, 
like  Philo,  who  held  the  most  abstract  ideas  of  God's 
nature.  The  chasm  between  the  transcendent  Deity 
and  the  lower  world  must  be  bridged  by  the  theory 
of  intermediate  powers  or  ideas,  and  the  sum  of 
these  was  the  Logos  (Word).  Some  writers  claim 
that  John  derived  the  suggestion  for  his  doctrine  of 
the  Word  (Logos)  from  the  Targums  entirely. 
Others  hold  that  he  obtained  it  from  both  these  and 
the  writings  of  Philo.  The  question  is  not  one  of 
great  practical  moment.  The  idea  was  current  in 
theological  literature  for  at  least  two  centuries  be- 
fore he  wrote  his  gospel.  He  simply  adopted  a  term 
of  common  use  in  philosophical  speech,  in  order  by 
employing  it  to  adapt  the  idea  of  the  pre-existence 
and  divinity  of  Christ  to  the  minds  of  his  Greek 
readers.  It  is  given  a  new  character,  however,  when 
used  by  John.  "The  personification  of  the  divine 
word  in  the  Old  Testament  is  poetical ;  in  Philo 
metaphysical ;  in  Saint  John  historical."  It  is  a  fact 
of  observation  and  experience  in  the  conception  of 
John.  A  very  apt  method  of  indicating  the  mani- 
fested God  both  to  Jews  and  to  pagans,  in  view  of 
the  difficulty,  which  all  feel,  of  perceiving  how  the 
infinite  Spirit  can  disclose  Himself  to  the  finite  mind. 
The  Word  of  God  is  that  by  which  He  utters  Him- 
self, has  communication  with  other  beings,  deals  with 
them,  expresses  His  power,  intelligence,  and  will. 
What  a  perfect  title  for  the  Son  of  God,  "who  being 
the  brightness  of  His  glory,  and  the  express  image 
of  His  person,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the  word 
of  His  power,"  is  the  full  utterance  of  the  invisible 
and  eternal  God  to  the  souls  of  men. 

2.  Affirmations  concerning  the  Word  (Logos).  Five 
notable  ascriptions  are  made:  (a)  Eternity  of  exist- 
ence in  verse  i.     (b)  Eternal  fellowship  with  God, 


32       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

in  verses  i,  2.  (c)  Identity  with  God,  in  verse  I. 
(d)  Creator  of  the  universe,  in  verse  3.  (e)  Light 
and  Hfe  of  men,  in  verse  4.  It  is  impossible  to  read 
these  sentences  without  being  reminded  of  the  first 
words  of  Genesis.  The  doctrine  herein  enunciated 
is  that  of  the  New  Testament  generally  concerning 
the  person  of  Christ.  Compare  Col.  i,  16,  17;  Heb. 
i,  1-3 ;  xi,  3.  Christ  is  represented  in  this  Prologue 
as  the  source  from  which  every  form  of  life — phys- 
ical, intellectual,  moral,  spiritual,  eternal — proceeds. 
Observe  how  John's  ideas  flow  into  one  another. 
"Creation  leads  on  to  life,  and  life  leads  on  to  light. 
Without  life  creation  would  be  unintelligible;  with- 
out light  all  but  the  lowest  forms  of  life  would  be 
impossible." 

II.    THE  REVELATION   OF    THE    SON    OF    GOD    TO  MEN ; 
THEIR  MANNER  OF  RECEIVING  HIM.     (5-13.) 

The  Word  (Logos)  is  here  spoken  of  as  Light.  Ap- 
peared and  was  adequately  attested.  Unbelief  re- 
jected Him;  belief  welcomed  Him.  The  Light  shone 
in  the  darkness,  but  the  darkness  could  not  appre- 
hend Him.  Though  the  Word  is  the  spiritual  light 
in  every  man,  man's  sin  (darkness)  made  it  impos- 
sible for  him  to  see.  "The  eternal  Son  is  the  uni- 
versal Sun." 

1.  John  the  Baptist  testified  of  Him.    (6-8.)     Personal 

testimony  to  the  truth  is  one  of  John's  favorite  ideas. 
Inseparable  from  the  idea  of  belief  in  the  truth.  "A 
reason  for  the  hope."  Necessary  to  state  that  John 
the  Baptist  was  not  the  true  light,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  at  Ephesus,  where  this  gospel  was  written,  Paul 
found  disciples  depending  wholly  upon  John's  bap- 
tism.   (Acts  xix,  1-6.) 

2.  He  was  ever  active  in  the  world,  but  the  world 

failed  to  recognize  Him,  (10.)  A  tragic  tone. 
He  made  the  world.  He  was  in  the  world ;  yet 
the  world  did  not  know  Him.  The  Creator  came 
and  was  not  recognized.    The  Grseco-Roman  world 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION.     33 

was  unconscious  of  the  nearness  of  God.  "They 
registered  His  birth,  took  account  of  Him  as  one 
to  be  taxed,  but  were  as  Httle  aware  as  the  oxen 
with  whom  He  shared  His  first  sleeping-place  that 
this  was  God." 

3.  He  came  to  His  own  in  the  flesh,  but  they  rejected 

Him.  (11.)  Tragic  note  repeated.  Compare  the 
Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  (Matt,  xxi, 
33-41.)  This  has  been  called  "the  saddest  verse  in 
the  Bible." 

4.  Some  did  receive  Him,  and  entered  into  a  new  life. 

(12,  13.)  Always  two  general  classes  of  persons 
respecting  the  claims  of  Jesus.  "There  was  a  di- 
vision of  the  people."  His.  wonderful  works,  His 
wonderful  words,  His  wonderful  character  provoked 
opposite  results.  "Power  to  become  the  sons  of 
God"  means  authority,  right,  liberty.  Man  is  born 
with  the  capacity  to  become  a  son  of  God.  Christ 
gives  him  the  right.  Christ  is  from  all  eternity  the 
Son  of  God ;  men  are  qualified  to  become  the  sons 
of  God  by  divine  grace.  No  natural  process  in  re- 
generation. Three  times  John  asserts  it.  "Born,  not 
of  blood,  not  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will 
of  man,  but  of  God." 

III.    THE  DISCLOSURE  OF  GOD  THE  FATHER  THROUGH 

THE  INCARNATION  AS  ATTESTED  BY 

PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE.     (14-18.) 

1.  Humiliation.      (14.)     The  Word    (Logos)    existing 

from  all  eternity  with  the  Father  (i,  2)  not  only 
manifested  His  power  in  creation  (3),  and  in  influ- 
ence on  the  minds  of  men  (9,  12,  13),  but  also  ex- 
hibited Himself  in  the  form  of  flesh.  The  Creator 
became  a  creature. 

2.  Glorification.      (14.)      In  His  very  humiliation  His 

glory  was  manifest.  "We  beheld."  Possible  refer- 
ence to  the  transfiguration  (Luke  ix,  32;  2  Peter  i, 
17,  18),  and  to  the  opening  vision  of  the  Apocalypse. 
His  glory  always  apparent  to  John,  who  was  a  seer, 
3 


34       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

a  man  of  vision.  "Full  of  grace  and  truth."  Come- 
liness, winsomeness,  kindliness,  good-will,  favor. 
"We  beheld."  Gazed  upon  Him  as  an  astronomer 
upon  the  starry  heavens.  His  glory  was  perfectly 
obvious  to  the  believer.  "To  the  unbeliever  he  was 
a  bankrupt  Galilean ;  to  the  believer  he  was  the  em- 
bodied might  of  God."  Christ  the  beauty,  the  maj- 
esty, the  power,  the  wisdom  of  God. 

3.  Testimony.    (15,  16.)    John  the  Baptist  made  a  great 

impression  on  John  the  Evangelist.  Three  times  in 
a  few  verses  he  records  the  proclamation  which  cre- 
ated such  an  epoch  in  his  own  life.  As  soon  as 
Jesus  appeared,  the  forerunner  began  to  disappear. 
The  testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  is  confirmed  by 
believers.     "Of  His  fullness  have  all  we  received." 

4.  Summary  of  the  purpose  of  the  Incarnation.     (18.) 

"A  visible  revelation  of  the  invisible  God."  God's 
response  to  the  craving  of  men  to  see,  know,  and 
understand  Him.  God  revealed  in  a  personal  way, 
by  a  personal  medium.  Lessons  of  the  Incarnation : 
( I )  God  is  not  alienated  from  us,  but  identified  with 
us.  (2)  As  Christ's  love  became  incarnate,  so  the 
Christian's  love  must  be  embodied  in  living  deeds. 

Note. 

Many  great  terms  of  the  Gospel  are  anticipated  in 
the  Prologue,  which  not  only  presents  in  outline 
what  is  to  be  developed  in  the  body  of  the  gospel, 
but  also  contains  certain  key-words  and  their  cog- 
nates, which  are  repeated  frequently  in  the  subse- 
quent chapters.  John  has  been  accused  of  poverty 
of  style,  because  of  his  constant  repetition  of  terms. 
But  this  is  not  a  serious  accusation,  for  his  words 
thus  repeated  do  not  represent  abstract  notions,  but 
"powerful  spiritual  realities."  They  have  been  com- 
pared to  "pieces  of  gold  with  which  great  lords  make 
payments."  Many  of  these  are  in  the  Prologue,  and 
occur  again  in  the  body  of  the  book.  They  indicate 
threads  of  thought  which  are  woven  throughout  the 
entire  texture.    Examples  follow: 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION      35 

Life.     (4.)     With  its  cognate,  to  live,  occurs  52  times. 

Light.     (4,  5.  7,  8,  9.)     Occurs  23  times. 

Witness.      (Testimony,    testify,    same    root) — (7)    is 

found  47  times. 
Believe.     (7,  12.)     Great  word  with  John.     Testimony 

induces  men  to  believe.    Belief  leads  to  eternal  life. 

Used  98  times. 
Know.     (10.)     Occurs  55  times. 
World.     (9,10.)    Used  78  times. 
Name.     (12.)     Occurs  25  times. 
Glory.     (14.)     Glorified,  found  42  times. 
Truth.     (17.)     Used  25  times. 


Hymn  No.  107. 

Joy  to  the  world !  the  Lord  is  come ; 

Let  earth  receive  her  King ; 
Let  every  heart  prepare  Him  room. 
And  heaven  and  nature  sing. 

— Isaac  Watts. 


Personal  Questions : 

Have  I  heard  and  heeded  the  utterance  of  the  Word 
to  me? 

Have  I,  a  child  of  God  by  nature,  become  a  child  of 
God  by  grace  ? 

Have  I  beheld  His  glory,  and  received  His  fullness? 


God  With  Us. 


"The  Word  ivas  made  iiesh,  and  dwelt  among  us." 

—John  i,  14. 

"The  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God."  These  words 
have  been  suggested  as  an  epitaph  for  the  tomb  of  ancient 
philosophy.  They  describe  as  accurately  the  failure  of 
modern  thought  apart  from  revelation.  "In  my  heaven 
I  find  no  God,"  said  Laplace.  "I  have  peered  through 
the  heavens  for  sixty  years,"  wrote  Lalande,  "and  have 


36       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

never  seen  Him  yet."  Said  a  white-haired  Indian  to  Sir 
John  FrankHn,  "I  am  an  old  man  now,  but  I  have  never 
seen  God."  John's  word  is  true,  ''No  man  hath  seen 
God  at  any  time ;  the  only  begotten  Son,  which  is  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Father,  He  hath  declared  Him."  Christ 
as  the  perfect  exegesis  of  God  fulfills  the  necessities  of 
the  human  mind  and  heart. 

Manifestations  of  God  have  been  multiplied  through 
the  ages.  Nature  has  been  forever  breaking  forth  into 
syllables  and  sentences  containing  a  revelation  of  the 
Eternal.    As  Sir  William  Jones  has  written: 

"The  heavens  are  a  point  from  the  pen  of  His  per- 
fection ; 
The  world  is  a  rosebud  from  the  bower  of  His  beauty ; 
The  sun  is  a  spark  from  the  light  of  His  wisdom ; 
And  the  sky  a  bubble  on  the  sea  of  His  power." 

History  has  gradually  unfolded  a  record  of  His  doings 
among  men.  Conscience  has  constantly  admonished  the 
soul  of  His  righteousness.  "Holy  men  of  God  spake  as 
they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  these  reve- 
lations have  been  fragmentary  and  provisional.  Their 
messages  could  only  be  caught  by  spiritually  heightened 
intelligences.  "God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers 
manners  spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by  the 
prophets,  hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  bv  His 
Son."  The  utterance  is  clear  and  comprehensive.  "The 
Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we 
beheld  His  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the 
Father,)   full  of  grace  and  truth." 

A  metaphysical  discussion  of  that  term  Word,  the 
best,  though  not  an  entirely  satisfactory  translation  of 
the  Greek  term  Logos,  would  possibly  weary  us.  We 
may  have  small  interest  in  the  fact  that  this  was  a  kind 
of  philosophical  expression  em.ployed  and  understood 
alike  by  cultivated  Jews  and  Greeks.  We  may  not  even 
have  curiosity  to  know  how  John,  the  fisherman,  hap- 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION.     37 

pened  to  light  upon  it,  though  we  shall  probably  think  it 
was  an  inspiration,  since  it  is  so  beautifully  apposite  for 
his  purpose.  What  will  doubtless  seize  our  minds  is 
that  John  wanted  to  say:  "In  Christ  God  has  uttered 
Himself — the  long  silence  has  been  broken — God  has  be- 
come vocal  in  forms  of  speech  we  can  understand  by  an 
immediate  and  not  an  intermediate  process." 

Yet  we  may  well  pause  a  little  on  that  term  Word. 
A  man's  word  is  that  by  which  his  mind,  his  will,  his 
power,  his  character  is  expressed.  His  word  is  his  own; 
it  is  not  shared,  and  can  not  be  shared,  with  another.  It 
can  not  be  separated  from  himself;  in  a  sense  it  is  him- 
self. By  it  we  know  his  thought,  his  purpose,  his  char- 
acter. When  a  man  says,  "I  give  you  my  word,"  he 
pledges  his  character.  All  that  constitutes  his  person- 
ality has  been  committed  to  his  declaration.  So  Christ 
is  God  uttered  in  terms  of  personality  such  as  we  can 
apprehend. 

Let  us  go  a  little  deeper.  "The  Word  was  made 
flesh."  That  does  not  mean  that  God  made  the  best  man 
He  was  capable  of  producing,  and  then  sent  him  to  earth 
as  His  representative.  It  is  not  doubted  that  God  reveals 
Himself  in  some  degree  in  all  human  beings,  and  it  is 
conceivable  that  God  might  make  a  man  who  should  illus- 
trate in  himself  all  that  God  intended  to  reveal  by  human 
nature,  and  who  should  perfectly  conform  to  His  will ; 
yet  this  ideal  man  would  not  be  what  Christ  is.  Christ 
is  not  simply  a  perfect  man.  He  is  God  incarnate.  The 
personality  is  divine.  Christ  is  God  with  us.  Upon  the 
mystery  we  do  not  attempt  to  lay  hands,  but  we  must 
thank  God  that  the  Word  is  made  flesh,  for  without  that 
wonderful  transaction  a  necessity  of  our  natures  would 
not  be  met. 

Professor  Bowne  recalls  the  story  of  Serapion,  a 
worthy  monk,  who  in  early  times  fell  into  the  error  of 
taking  the  figurative  language  of  the  Bible  in  a  strictly 
literal  sense.  In  this  way  he  came  to  look  upon  God  as 
an  enormous  and  omnipotent  human  being,  and  his  mind 
was  filled  with  gross  material  conceits  of  the  divine  per- 
sonality.    Paphnutius,  a  priest,  and  Photinus,  a  deacon, 


38       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

reasoned  with  him,  and  showed  him  that  God  is  a  spirit 
without  bodily  parts,  and  finally  by  their  arguments  and 
by  their  personal  authority  they  persuaded  Serapion  to 
renounce  his  misconceptions.  Then  they  offered  thanks 
to  God  for  having  restored  the  deluded  disciple  to  the 
true  faith.  But  in  the  very  midst  of  their  thanksgiving 
the  monk  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  weeping  and  wail- 
ing because,  as  he  said,  they  had  taken  away  his  God 
and  left  him  no  one  to  whom  he  could  pray. 

Such  is  the  constitution  of  our  minds,  that  only  per- 
sons of  the  most  refined  intellects  can  find  satisfaction 
in  a  contemplation  of  God  which  does  not  identify  Him 
with  those  expressions  of  personality  which  are  common 
to  our  own  being.  When  we  get  confused  about  the 
person  of  God  it  is  a  most  happy  circumstance  that  we 
can  turn  to  the  figure  of  Jesus  Christ  and  sa}^  "He  is 
God." 

The  Word  made  flesh  is,  then,  the  most  convincing 
external  evidence  of  the  existence  and  character  of  God. 
It  is  the  one  satisfactory  demonstration  that  God  is  ac- 
cessible, available,  attainable,  tangible.  There  are  other 
proofs  of  God's  existence.  Theistic  philosophy,  let  us 
confess,  has  made  out  its  case,  and  whoever  has  acuteness 
of  mind  enough  to  follow  the  argument  will  probably  be 
convinced  of  that.  He  will  feel  that  there  must  be  a 
God  to  correspond  with  the  deep-seated  conviction  of 
universal  mankind  that  there  is  an  invisible  Power  in 
the  universe.  He  will  see  that  nature  can  not  be  studied 
without  bringing  an  overwhelming  conclusion  that  there 
is  an  ultimate  energy  endowed  with  intelligence  and  will, 
that  is,  with  personal  qualities.  When  Liebig  was  asked 
if  he  believed  that  the  grass  and  flowers  which  he  saw 
around  him  grew  by  mere  chemical  forces  he  replied: 
"No;  no  more  than  I  could  believe  that  the  books  on 
botany  describing  them  could  grow  by  mere  chemical 
forces."  But  then,  if  you  give  me  no  better  God  than 
one  constructed  out  of  the  necessities  of  thought,  I  would 
be  almost  as  happy  if  you  had  given  me  no  God  at  all. 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION.     39 

If  there  is  no  fellowship  with  Him,  if  He  is  not  acces- 
sible and  available,  my  interest  in  Him  outside  of  a  philo- 
sophical requirement  is  very  slight.  I  view  nature  which 
speaks  of  God  with  no  great  joy.  The  smiling  fields  only 
exasperate  me.  I  am  like  Job  of  old:  "Behold,  I  go 
forward,  but  He  is  not  there,  and  backward,  but  I  can 
not  perceive  Him ;  on  the  left  hand  where  He  doth 
work,  but  I  can  not  behold  Him ;  He  hideth  Himself  on 
the  right  hand  that  I  can  not  see  Him." 

Those  Russian  peasants,  sweeping  up  to  the  palace  of 
the  Czar,  a  great  volume  of  humanity,  eager  for  royal 
clemency  and  sympathy,  presented  a  most  dramatic  spec- 
tacle. Civilization  is  appalled  that  a  sovereign  endowed 
with  such  immense  power  could  apparently  be  indifferent, 
unmoved  by  the  appeal  of  his  oppressed  and  struggling 
subjects.  But  the  pathos  of  the  Czar's  repulsion  would 
be  immeasurably  outdone  by  the  indifference  of  the  eter- 
nal God  to  the  pitiful  clamors  of  humanity,  if  He  were 
to  remain  absolutely  silent  in  the  presence  of  their  deep 
and  universal  solicitude  to  find  Him.  But  God  is  with  us. 
Incarnation  affirms  it,  and  the  experience  of  the  race  with 
Jesus  Christ  confirms  it.  God  has  been  made  flesh  and 
tabernacled  with  us.  We  may  say  as  did  the  patriarch 
Job,  after  he  had  received  the  full  revelation  of  God's 
fellowship  with  him,  "I  have  heard  of  Thee  by  the  hear- 
ing of  the  ear,  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  Thee." 

The  Word  made  flesh  is  a  disclosure  of  the  character 
of  God.  In  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  we  see  that  He  is 
goodness  personified.  Is  not  that  our  highest  conception 
of  the  Eternal?  The  most  convincing  attributes  of  God 
are  not  power,  vast  size,  dazzling  glory,  but  goodness 
without  a  flaw,  holiness  that  can  not  be  tempted,  love 
that  accommodates  itself  to  all  the  needs  of  His  creatures, 
spiritual  qualities  which  show  themselves  to  be  truly 
divine.  Are  not  these  the  qualities  which  in  human 
beings  make  their  most  effective  appeals  to  our  souls? 
The  great  heart  wins  our  admiration  in  competition  with 
the  strong  mind.    If  God  could  only  make  His  approach 


40       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

to  us  through  our  intellects,  He  would  not  produce  those 
great  effects  upon  our  conscience  which  are  so  necessary 
to  our  moral  and  spiritual  welfare.  It  is  because  through 
Jesus  Christ  He  has  access  to  our  hearts  that  He  wins 
us  to  Himself.  One  can  even  express  tolerance  for  the 
conquerors  who  have  been  chiefly  wholesale  murderers 
when  he  sees  that  occasionally  they  fell  into  deeds  of 
goodness  and  charity ;  and  the  question  which  most  deeply 
interests  us  is  not  "Is  God  great?" — every  one  can  see 
that  He  is — but  "Is  God  good?"  The  heavens  declare 
the  glory  of  God,  but  they  do  not  declare  His  love  in 
unmistakable  terms.  They  show  that  He  is  an  artist 
and  loves  beauty,  that  He  is  an  artificer  and  has  wrought 
incomparably ;  that  His  works  are  full  of  order  and  har- 
mony ;  that  He  has  filled  the  universe  with  a  certain  kind 
of  melody ;  that  He  has  the  mind  of  a  perfect  poet ;  and 
from  these  considerations  we  should  doubtless  suspect  the 
element  of  goodness  in  His  nature.  But  absolute  proof 
of  this  would  be  lacking  without  such  a  manifestation 
of  His  character  as  we  have  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  only 
in  such  personal  relations  as  are  exhibited  in  the  life  of 
Jesus  that  the  inherent  and  eternal  goodness  of  God  are 
made  clear,  and  when  the  soul  falls  into  confusion  con- 
cerning the  character  of  the  invisible  God  there  is  only 
sure  relief  in  gazing  upon  the  figure  of  the  Son  of  God. 
If  we  question  the  goodness  of  God  we  have  only  to  look 
upon  the  face  of  His  Anointed.  It  was" such  an  experi- 
ence which  settled  forever  the  faith  of  the  early  apostles. 
"We  beheld  His  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten 
of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth." 

The  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  is  insoluble ;  its  mes- 
sage is  immeasurably  blessed. 

The  very  God !  think,  Abib ;  dost  thou  think  ? 
So,  the  All-Great  were  the  All-Loving,  too — 
So,  through  the  thunder  comes  a  human  voice 
Saying,  "O  heart  I  made,  a  heart  beats  here! 
Face,  my  hands  fashioned,  see  it  in  myself!" 

— Browning. 


THE  PROLOGUE  OR  INTRODUCTION.     41 

Gustavus  Adolphus,  rising  before  the  dawn  on  the 
day  of  the  battle  of  Liitzen,  refused  to  put  on  his  breast- 
plate because  his  old  wounds  hurt  him  under  harness. 
"God  is  my  breast-plate,"  he  said,  and  went  upon  the 
glorious  field.  When  asked  for  a  watchword  he  replied, 
"God  with  us."  His  soldiers  sang  "A  mighty  fortress 
is  our  God,"  as  they  advanced  against  the  foe ;  and  sus- 
tained by  an  unfaltering  trust  in  the  Divine  Presence 
they  wrought  a  wondrous  triumph. 

That  is  the  heartening  message  of  the  Incarnation — 
God  is  with  us,  not  beyond  us. 


PART  I. 

Manifestation  of  Christ's  Glory  Through  Works  and 
Words  Connected  With  His  Public  Ministry. — 
Chapters  I,  19 — XII. 

ANALYSIS. 

I.  INTRODUCTORY  PERIOD  :  INITIAL  TESTIMONIES. 

1.  The  Witness  of  John  the  Baptist.    (I,  19-37.) 

2.  The  Witness  of  the  Disciples.     (I,  38-51.) 

II.  PERIOD  OF  UNDISTURBED  ACTIVITY.     (II-IV.) 

1.  The  Wedding  at  Cana.     (II,  1-12.) 

2.  The  Cleansing  of  the  Temple.     (II,  13-22.) 

3.  The   Interview  with   Nicodemus.     (II,  23 — III.  21.) 

4.  The  Final  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist.  (Ill,  22-36.) 

5.  The  Interview  with  the   Samaritans.     (IV,  1-42.) 

6.  The  Healing  of  the  Nobleman's  Son.     (IV,  43-54.) 

III.  PERIOD  OF  CONFLICT.     (IV.-XI.) 

1.  The  Healing  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda.     (V,  1-16.) 

2.  Discourse  on  Life  :    A  Defense.     (V,  17-47.) 

3.  Signs  at  the  Sea  of  Galilee.     (VI,  1-21.) 

4.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life.     (VI,  22-71.) 

5.  Jesus   at  the   Feast  of  Tabernacles.     (VII,  1-52.) 

6.  Jesus  and  the  Fallen  Woman.      (VII,   53— VIII,  i-ii.) 

7.  The  Witness  of  Jesus  Concerning  Himself.  VIII,  12-59.) 

8.  The  Healing  of  the  Man  Born  Blind.     (IX.) 

9.  The   Allegory  of  the  Good  Shepherd.     (X,  1-21.) 

10.  Discourse  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication.     (X,  22-42.) 

11.  The  Raising  of  Lazarus.     (XI.) 

IV.  PERIOD  OF  TRANSITION  AND  JUDGMENT.     (XII.) 

1.  The  Supper  at  Bethany.     (XII,  i-ii.) 

2.  The  Triumphal  Entry.     (XII,  12-19.) 

3.  The  Quest  of  the  Greeks.     (XII,  20-36.) 

4.  The  Final  Judgment.    (XII,  37-50. j 

43 


SECTION  I. 
INTRODUCTORY  PERIOD :  INITIAL  TESTIMONIES. 

CHAPTER  I.  19-51. 

The;  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  attaches  much  im- 
portance to  evidence  in  the  plan  of  his  work.  Seven 
kinds  of  testimony  are  adduced.  They  may  be  distin- 
guished as  the  witness  (i)  of  John  the  Baptist,  (2)  of 
other  individuals,  (3)  of  the  works  of  Jesus,  (4)  of  the 
Father,  (5)  of  the  Scriptures,  (6)  of  Jesus  Himself, 
(7)  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

John  makes  large  use  of  the  individual  witness.  At 
the  forefront  of  his  Gospel  he  presents  the  testimony  of 
John  the  Baptist,  and  follows  immediatelv  with  the 
testimony  of  certain  persons  who  subsequently  became 
apostles.  Throughout  the  work  he  pauses  to  insert  the 
testimony  of  those  who  were  convinced  by  the  words  and 
works  of  Jesus.  Notable  examples  are  the  following: 
Nathanael  (i,  49),  Andrew  (i,  41),  Nicodemus  (iii,  2), 
Samaritan  woman  (iv,  29),  Samaritan  men  (iv,  42),  Man 
born  blind  (ix),  Martha  (xi,  27),  Thomas  (xx,  28), 

Introductory  to  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus  our 
author  presents  two  notable  examples  of  personal  testi- 
mony to  His  character  and  mission. 

1.  The  Witness  oe  John  the  Baptist. 

2.  The  Witness  oi^  the  First  Discipees. 

45 


IV. 
THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

CHAPTER  I.  19-37. 

The  Gospel  of  John  is  the  most  original,  the  most  im- 
portant, the  most  influential  book  in  all  literature.  ...  It 
is  simple  as  a  child  and  sublime  as  a  seraph,  gentle  as  a 
lamb  and  bold  as  an  eagle,  deep  as  the  sea  and  high  as 
the  heavens. — Schaff. 

While  the  other  Evangelists  give  impressive  pic- 
tures of  the  career  of  John  the  Baptist,  our  author  only 
glances  slightly  at  these  matters,  while  he  lays  strong 
emphasis  on  the  testimony  of  the  man.  Mentioned  twice 
in  the  Prologue  (6,  15).  Reasons  for  the  emphasis  laid 
on  this  testimony :  ( i )  A  natural  and  personal  one — John 
the  Baptist  is  the  man  w^ho  pointed  John  the  Evangelist 
to  Jesus.  (2)  John  the  Baptist  the  most  prominent  man 
of  his  times,  universally  accepted  by  the  people  as  a 
prophet,  who  could  not  be  supposed  mistaken  concerning 
the  chief  item  of  his  mission.  (3)  Divinely  inspired. 
"A  man  sent  from  God  whose  name  was  John."  (4)  A 
dominant  personality,  "Certainly  among  the  six  greatest 
men  the  world  has  seen."  (Dods.)  "There  hath  not 
risen  a  greater."     (Jesus.) 

The  position  of  John  the  Baptist  deserves  careful 
study.  His  birth  and  parentage.  Entrance  upon  the  pro- 
phetic office.  In  a  sense  belonged  to  the  new  dispensa- 
tion. Marked  the  point  of  emergence  of  the  Christian 
Church  into  history.  Probably  preached  and  baptized 
contemporaneously  with  Jesus  for  a  year.  Threefold 
testimony  of  John  the  Baptist.  Given  on  three  successive 
days.  I.  To  the  Sanhedrin  Deputation — the  Messiah  an- 
nounced. 2.  To  the  populace — the  Messiah  pointed  out. 
3.  To  John's  disciples — the  Messiah  to  be  followed. 

46 


THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.    47 

I.  THE    BAPTIST'S    TESTIMONY    TO    THE    COMMITTEE 
OF  THE  SANHEDRIN  (19-28). 

The  Messiah  Announced. 

1.  The  Investigating  Committee.    Deputation  of  priests 

and  Levites.  Sanhedrin,  the  ecclesiastical  head  of 
the  Jewish  nation.  Composed  of  seventy-one  mem- 
bers including  the  high  priest,  who  was  president 
ex  officio.  Contained  three  classes  of  persons : 
Chief  Priests,  probably  high  priests  who  had  retired 
from  office,  and  members  chosen  from  the  highest 
priestly  families  ;  Elders,  probably  the  other  members 
in  general,  whether  lay  or  Levitical ;  Scribes,  experts 
in  the  law,  jurists  by  profession.  They  were  gener- 
ally Levites,  and  hence  their  connection  with  the 
deputation.  Perhaps  not  a  formal  embassy,  but  an 
influential  committee  of  inquiry,  sent  at  the  insti- 
gation of  the  Pharisees,  who  could  not  afford  to 
ignore  a  movement  which  was  gaining  strength 
every  day,  and  which  heralded  the  approach  of  the 
Messiah. 

2.  The  Baptist's  modest  disclaimer  (20-23).    His  self- 

forgetfulness.  Will  not  permit  himself  to  be  re- 
garded as  anything  more  than  a  voice,  heralding 
the  coming  Messiah.  Compare  Isa.  xl,  3.  Leveling 
of  roads  in  the  East  for  approaching  sovereigns  an 
illustration. 

3.  Explanation  of  his  Baptism  (24-28).     A  rite  being 

introduced  into  the  theocracy  without  official  sanc- 
tion. If  John  the  Baptist  is  not  the  Messiah,  or  any 
great  prophet,  as  he  insists,  why  then  does  he  bap- 
tize?— the  question  of  the  Pharisees.  Difficulty  of 
interpreting  John's  reply.  Perhaps  the  meaning  is 
best  expressed  in  this  way :  If  the  Messiah  has  ac- 
tually come,  and  John  is  His  true  forerunner,  he  is 
justiiied  in  inaugurating  this  rite.  With  a  significant 
glance  into  the  crowd  he  says,  "The  Messiah  is  here ! 
I  need  no  other  authentication."  This  must  have 
produced  a  sensation. 


48        STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

II.  THE  BAPTIST'S  TESTIMONY  TO   THE   POPULACE 

(29-34). 

The  Messiah  Pointed  Out. 

"He  no  longer  merely  says,  'He  is  there,'  but  he  cries, 
'There  He  is!'  "  (Godef.)  The  Baptist's  announce- 
ment not  a  continuous  discourse,  but  a  series  of  sud- 
den outbursts  inspired  by  the  occasion. 

1.  A  Wonderful  Title— "The  Lamb  of  God."     Probable 

reference  to  Isa.  liii,  also  to  the  paschal  lamb.  Same 
figure  employed  by  John  the  Evangelist  in  the  Apoc- 
alypse. The  sin  of  the  world  regarded  as  one  great 
load. 

2.  The  Ground  of  the  Baptist's   Confidence   (31-33). 

His  testimony  is  based  on  the  testimony  from  heaven. 
The  visible  token — the  hovering  dove,  and  the  aud- 
ible token — the  voice  from  heaven.  (Matt,  iii,  16, 
17.) 

3.  The  Son  of  God  (34).     The  title  used  by  the  voice 

from  heaven.  The  Baptist  bears  testimony  to 
Christ's  divine  origin  with  eagerness  in  view  of  this 
celestial  witness. 

III.  THE  BAPTIST'S  TESTIMONY  TO  HIS  DISCIPLES 

(35-37). 

The  Messiah  To  Be  Followed. 

One  of  the  disciples  is  Andrew,  and  the  other  is  pre- 
sumed to  be  John,  from  the  modest  way  in  which 
he  is  mentioned.  They  are  urged  to  follow  Jesus. 
They  accept  the  injunction  eagerly.  Thus  begins 
the  Christian  movement. 

The  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  Summarized:  He 

witnesses  to  the  pre-eminence  of  Jesus  (27,  30)  ; 
the  pre-existence  of  Jesus  (15,  30)  ;  the  efficacy  of 
His  redemption  (29)  ;  His  spiritual  endowment 
(33)  ;  His  unique  personality   (34). 

The  Effects  of  the  Baptist's  Testimony.  They  are 
partly  known  and  party  conjectured.    Silence  on  the 


THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.    49 

part  of  the  Sanhedrin  deputation.  Unknown  results 
with  the  crowd,  though  many  persons  must  have 
been  impressed,  A  decision  for  Christ  by  Andrew 
and  Peter.  We  must  feel  the  weight  of  this  man's 
testimony,  for  he  was  qualified  as  few  others  could 
be  to  bear  reliable  witness. 


Hymn  No.  222. 

Happy,  if  with  my  latest  breath 

I  may  but  gasp  His  name ; 
Preach  Him  to  all.  and  cry  in  death, 

"Behold,  behold  the  Lamb !" 

— Charles  Wesley. 


Personal  Questions : 

1.  Have  I  like  John  the  Baptist  borne  personal  testi- 
mony to  Christ,  sinking  self  out  of  sight  ? 

2.  Have  I  like  Andrew  and  John  gone  straight  after 
Christ  when  I  have  been  urged  to  follow  Him? 


The  Man  Who  Discovered  Christ. 

"And  I  saw,  and  bare  record  that  this  is  the  Son  of 
God." — John  i,  34. 

When  Sir  Humphry  Davy  was  applauded  for  his 
important  discoveries,  he  replied,  "My  best  discovery  was 
Michael  Faraday."  After  a  man  has  attained  eminence 
f  there  are  many  to  claim  they  foresaw  his  greatness. 
Zola  wrote  on  for  years  before  his  pen  earned  his  bread. 
Then  suddenly  a  novel  attracted  attention,  and  all  his 
works  were  in  demand.  Millet  was  once  compelled  to 
paint  signs,  instead  of  works  of  art,  in  order  to  buy  food 
for  his  family.  About  the  time  his  "Angelus"  was  fin- 
ished he  wrote  to  a  friend :  "We  have  only  wood  for  two 
or  three  days  more.  ...  I  am  suffering  and  sad."  Later 
his  works  sold  for  fabulous  sums.    When  he  died  there 


50       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

was  an  explosion  of  sympathy  and  an  universal  rendering 
of  justice  to  his  memory.  Anybody  can  discover  a  man 
when  he  has  become  famous.  It  is  the  rare  mind  which 
detects  the  genius  in  its  earliest  struggles  for  expres- 
sion. The  noblest  character  may  suffer  a  temporary 
obscuration.  Jesus  was  not  known  to  His  own  family. 
It  is  doubtful  if  His  mother  realized  the  full  significance 
of  His  person.  To  John  the  Baptizer  belongs  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  first  discovered  that  Jesus  was  the 
Christ.    The  process  of  his  discovery  deserves  attention. 

He  was  expecting  the  Messiah.  He  had  been  set 
apart  for  the  prophetic  office,  and  had  interpreted  the 
signs  of  the  times.  The  age  was  calling  for  a  deliverer. 
The  low  point  of  current  religious  life  indicated  the 
necessity.  He  had  spent  long  years  in  the  wilderness 
ruminating  upon  the  matter.  The  Holy  Spirit  had 
brooded  over  his  thought.  He  became  possessed  of  the 
sublime  conviction  that  the  Messiah  would  appear  in  his 
generation,  that  He  was  even  now  approaching.  Then 
he  started  forth  to  proclaim  His  advent,  knowing  that 
in  God's  good  time  He  would  be  discovered.  "Repent 
ye,  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.  Prepare  ye 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  His  paths  straight,"  sounded 
along  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.  The  multitudes  came  to 
his  baptism.  He  instructed  them  in  the  things  which 
were  essential  to  a  genuine  penitence,  and  evermore 
added,  "I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water;  but  One 
mightier  than  I  cometh,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am 
not  worthy  to  unloose :  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  with  fire."  He  knew  the  crisis  was  near. 
He  felt  the  premonitory  tokens  in  his  own  soul,  as  men 
experience  the  anticipatory  tremors  of  a  new  movement 
in  society.  He  went  about  his  work  with  his  mind 
strangely  alert,  his  ears  attentive,  his  eyes  open.  Some- 
where, and  at  some  time,  out  of  the  crowds  which  flocked 
to  his  ministry  the  Messiah  would  emerge,  and  his  own 
mission  would  be  finished.     As  Adams   and   Leverrier 


THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.    51 

were  convinced  that  the  planet  Neptune  existed  long  be- 
fore it  was  discovered,  because  they  noted  that  at  one 
point  along  its  orbit  the  planet  Uranus  was  deflected 
from  the  perfect  curve  of  its  track  through  space  by 
the  attraction  of  some  unknown  body,  and  from  their 
calculations  were  able  to  determine  accurately  where  this 
ponderous  bulk  was  located,  the  telescope  triumphantly 
confirming  their  predictions ;  so  the  Baptizer,  reckoning 
from  the  spiritual  data  which  were  available  to  his  ex- 
traordinary insight,  proclaimed  the  coming  of  the  Mes- 
siah, and  saw  his  prophecy  fulfilled  as  gloriously  as  any 
astronomer  ever  beheld  his  mathematical  computations 
vindicated. 

^? 

One  day  John  the  Baptizer  was  impressed  with  the 
appearance  of  a  stranger  who  came  to  the  Jordan  for 
baptism.  There  is  something  in  the  bearing  of  a  great 
character  which  certifies  to  the  inner  dignity  of  his  soul. 
Bismarck  told  a  friend  that  it  was  impossible  to  imagine 
a  position,  however  trying,  in  which  the  old  King  Wil- 
liam did  not  look  and  act  every  inch  a  king.  Even  in 
deshabille,  in  bed,  old  and  worn  out,  when  shot  at  by  No- 
biling,  and  wounded  with  small  shot  as  though  he  were  a 
pheasant,  there  was  always  something  dignified  about 
him,  which  differentiated  him  from  other  people.  There 
was  a  serene  nobility  in  the  carriage  of  the  candidate  for 
baptism  who  now  appeared  before  John  the  Baptizer 
which  arrested  his  attention.  The  man  was  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  whom  John  afterward  says  he  did  not  know. 
This  seems  strange,  for  they  had  grown  up  together. 
Still  they  had  been  separated  for  years,  the  one  pursuing 
his  ascetic  life  in  the  wilderness,  the  other  quietly  grow- 
ing up  in  Nazareth.  Possibly  they  had  not  met  since 
they  had  attained  their  manhood. 

It  is  more  probable,  however,  that  John  meant  to  say 
he  did  not  recognize  Jesus  in  His  true  office.  He  knew 
Him  as  his  kinsman,  but  he  did  not  perceive  that  He  was 
the  Messiah  at  the  moment.  He  had  no  adequate  knowl- 
edge of  the  vast  mission  of  Jesus.     Still  he  recognized 


52       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

His  superiority,  and  soon  had  reason  to  hesitate  about 
baptizing  Him. 

Baptism  involved  confession  for  sin,  and  Jesus  could 
not  confess  sins  which  He  had  not  committed.  When, 
therefore,  He  began  His  acknowledgment  preparatory  to 
baptism.  He  must  have  made  a  representative  confession, 
assuming  the  sins  of  the  race,  identifying  Himself  with 
fallible  humanity,  and  thereby  revealing  Himself  as  the 
Redeemer  of  mankind. 

Perhaps,  also,  there  was  a  confidential  conversation 
between  these  two,  in  which  Jesus  explained  to  the  Bap- 
tizer  His  true  relation  to  humanity.  In  any  case  John 
hesitates  to  perform  the  rite  of  baptism  for  one  who 
apparently  can  not  properly  receive  it.  He  sees  in  Jesus 
one  higher  than  himself  in  holy  character.  "I  have 
need  to  be  baptized  of  Thee,"  he  exclaims,  "and  comest 
Thou  to  me?"  And  Jesus  replied,  "Suffer  it  to  be  so 
now :  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  righteousness." 

When  they  proceeded  into  the  water  together  a  won- 
drous thing  occurred,  which  confirmed  the  impression 
already  made  on  the  mind  of  the  Baptizer,  and  vindi- 
cated the  self-testimony  of  Jesus.  Luke  tells  us  that 
when  Jesus  was  baptized  He  prayed.  The  response  was 
immediate.  From  the  opening  heaven  "the  Holy  Ghost 
descended  in  bodily  shape  like  a  dove  upon  Him,  and 
a  voice  came  from  heaven,  which  said,  Thou  art  My 
beloved  Son;  in  Thee  I  am  well  pleased."  That  was  the 
ultimate  proof  for  John,  for  the  Spirit  which  had  brooded 
over  him  in  his  solitude  had  indicated  this  as  the  sure 
token  by  which  he  should  know  the  Divine  One  who 
"baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  Now  John  knew  Jesus 
as  he  had  not  known  Him  before.  "A  blind  man  who 
had  received  his  sight  during  the  hours  of  darkness," 
says  a  learned  writer,  "might  imagine,  when  he  saw  the 
reflected  glory  of  the  moon  or  morning  star  in  the  eye 
of  dawn,  that  he  knew  the  nature  and  had  felt  the  glory 
of  light ;  but  amidst  the  splendors  of  sunrise  or  of  noon 
he  might  justly  say,  *I  knew  it  not' " 


THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.    53 

Now  the  Baptizer  is  qualified  to  offer  testimony  of 
incalculable  value.  Thus  far  he  has  simply  prophesied 
that  One  was  coming  after  him  who  was  preferred  be- 
fore him.  Now  he  could  proclaim  that  the  Great  One 
had  arrived.  When  the  Sanhedrin  sends  the  deputation 
from  Jerusalem  to  inquire  into  His  mission,  the  Baptizer 
affirms  that  the  expectation  of  Israel  is  realized — the 
Messiah  is  standing  in  their  very  presence. 

The  next  day,  as  he  sees  Jesus  coming  to  him,  he 
cries,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world!"  A  new  conception  of  Christ  has 
dawned  upon  him.  From  his  recognition  of  Christ's 
official  relation  to  the  race,  as  the  representative  man 
who  is  to  bring  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  he  passes  on 
to  the  recognition  of  Christ's  sacrificial  relation  to  the 
world  and  to  God.  He  is  the  Divine  offering  for  hu- 
manity. John's  Jewish  training  would  prepare  him  for 
the  idea.  His  priestly  connections  through  his  father 
would  dispose  him  to  embrace  it.  The  inspiration  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  would  confirm  it.  And  in  a  moment  of  sud- 
den, sure  illumination  he  exclaimed,  "Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God !"  He  may  have  recalled  the  words  of  Isaiah 
(liii,  4-7),  which  now  bore  a  new  and  profounder  mean- 
ing. He  may  have  thought  of  the  paschal  lamb  offered 
in  many  households.  His  mind  may  have  been  quick- 
ened by  the  sight  of  sheep  being  driven  up  to  Jerusalem 
for  the  approaching  Passover.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  must 
have  opened  his  soul  to  the  deep  meaning  of  Christ's 
person  and  mission. 

When  Agassiz,  out  of  the  depths  of  his  well-stored 
mind,  was  able  to  picture  for  an  assembly  of  English 
scientists  an  exact  reproduction  of  a  fossil  fish  which 
had  been  discovered,  though  he  was  not  aware  of  it, 
in  lower  strata  than  had  been  previously  known,  achiev- 
ing this  feat  by  means  of  pure  reasoning,  based  on  what 
ought  to  be  there  if  it  had  any  existence,  the  company 
were  astounded  at  his  intellectual  triumph,  and  an  ob- 
server  remarked,   "To  such  an  extent  had  this   great 


54       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

scientist  advanced  in  a  knowledge  of  the  plan  of  God 
in  nature."  John's  recognition  of  Jesus  reveals  a  higher 
perception  of  the  plan  of  God  in  human  nature,  and  it 
was  due  to  a  profound  intelligence  quickened  by  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

It  is  noteworthy  that  this  richer  conception  of  Christ's 
office  which  John  the  Baptizer  obtained  is  only  described 
in  the  Fourth  Gospel,  In  the -accounts  of  his  preaching 
which  the  other  evangelists  give  the  judicial  aspects  of 
Christ's  mission  are  presented  with  something  akin  to 
harshness.  "Whose  fan  is  in  His  hand,  and  He  will  thor- 
oughly purge  His  floor,  and  will  gather  the  wheat  into 
His  garner;  but  the  chafif  will  He  burn  with  fire  un- 
quenchable." Now  it  is  the  meek,  the  unspotted  Lamb, 
whose  grace  overtops  His  justice,  who  is  not  to  condemn 
but  to  save  the  world,  "which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,"  as  contrasted  with  the  avenging  servant  of  Je- 
hovah who  will  destroy  the  impenitent.  When  this  more 
satisfying  thought  of  Christ's  mission  had  entered  the 
mind  of  John,  there  was  nothing  for  the  conscientious 
prophet  to  do  but  pass  his  disciples  on  to  the  Lord.  "Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God!"  spoken  on  the  following  day, 
was  intended  as  an  exhortation  to  follow  Christ,  and  was 
so  understood  by  his  companions.  "And  I  saw,  and  bare 
record  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God.  He  is  the  ultimate 
need  of  the  world.  Beyond  Him  is  no  one.  He  is  the 
altogether  lovely  and  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand." 

The  Baptizer's  discovery  of  Christ  is  the  prototype 
of  all  the  subsequent  findings  of  the  Savior  by  seeking 
sinners.  The  conviction  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God,  is  a  development  in  the  soul.  There  is  first  an 
eagerness  to  find  that  Christ  who  can  fill  the  needs  of 
human  life.  The  presentation  of  Jesus  in  His  spotless 
purity  impresses  the  soul  that  He  is  the  highest  mani- 
festation of  grace  and  goodness.  Under  this  revelation 
the  soul  is  smitten  with  the  terror  of  its  own  infirmities, 
and  the  dread  that  this  Perfect  One  will  condemn  the 
sinner  to  destruction.    Then  the  love  of  Christ  in  offering 


THE  WITNESS  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST.     55 

Himself  for  the  world's  relief  turns  terror  into  peni- 
tence and  distrust  into  faith,  and  having  accepted  the  pro- 
pitiatory offices  of  Christ,  the  soul  exclaims,  "I  see,  and 
bear  record  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God." 

It  is  related  that  once  Mendelssohn  came  to  see  the 
great  Freiburg  organ.  At  first  the  old  custodian  refused 
him  permission  to  put  his  fingers  upon  it,  not  knowing 
who  he  was.  Finally  he  grudgingly  allowed  him  to  play 
a  few  notes,  and  soon  the  most  wonderful  music  was  roll- 
ing forth  from  the  instrument.  The  jealous  guardian  of 
the  organ  was  spell-bound.  At  length  he  came  up  beside 
the  great  musician  and  asked  his  name.  When  he  was 
told  he  stood  almost  dumb  with  humiliation  and  self- 
condemnation,  and  then  exclaimed  with  deep  abasement, 
"And  I  refused  you  permission  to  play  upon  my  organ !" 
How  foolish  it  is  to  tease  the  soul  about  the  philosophy 
of  the  atonement,  to  stumble  at  the  proclamation  of  the 
"Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world," 
to  say  with  Peter  Cooper,  "I  do  n't  need  any  one  to  die 
for  my  sins,"  to  repudiate  the  theory  of  a  vicarious  sacri- 
fice because  it  does  not  appeal  to  reason,  while  all  the 
time  the  Master  stands  ready  to  transform  life,  not  on 
the  strength  of  our  understanding,  but  of  our  obedience. 
The  evidence  that  Jesus  Christ  is  what  John  the  Baptizer 
declared  Him  to  be  lies  in  the  Divine  harmonies  which 
He  evokes  from  natures  which  are  surrendered  to  His 
touch. 


V. 
THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  CALLED  DISCIPLES. 

CHAPTER  I.  38-51. 

This  Gospel  is  the  consummation  of  the  Gospels,  as 
the  Gospels  are  of  all  the  Scriptures. — Origen. 

The;  value  of  such  testimony  as  John  now  presents 
lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  unofficial  and  gratuitous.  The 
author  evidently  holds  that  it  provides  a  sufficient  ground 
for  belief  to  those  who  are  willing  to  receive  it.  How- 
ever, it  can  only  secure  an  external  relation  between  the 
believer  and  the  object  of  belief.  In  order  to  be  vital, 
faith  must  enter  into  direct  contact  with  its  object.  The 
weight  and  volume  of  such  testimony  will  predispose  his 
readers,  John  believes,  to  accept  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
God.  He  represents  Jesus  as  pronouncing  a  special  bene- 
diction on  those  who  have  been  wise  enough  to  accept 
Him  on  the  strength  of  such  testimony.  "Blessed  are 
they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed"  (xx,  29). 
Value  of  testimony  of  individuals  in  our  own  times  is 
very  obvious.  Persons  who  know  the  Lord  by  a  spiritual 
experience  of  His  fellowship  make  a  profound  impres- 
sion on  candid  inquirers.  Modern  illustrations.  We  have 
here  two  groups  of  witnesses,  falling  into  two  successive 
days. 

I.  THE  TESTIMONY  OF  ANDREW  AND  JOHN  (38-42). 

I.  The  Unmentioned  Disciple,  probably  John,  who  in 

other  passages  suppresses  his  own  name,  though  he 
is  evidently  prominent  in  the  transaction.  Impres- 
sion made  on  Andrew  and  John  by  the  proclamation 
of  the  Baptist  is  easily  imagined.  Their  timid  fol- 
lowing is  interrupted  by  the  incisive  question  of 
56 


WITNESS  OF  THE  CALLED  DISCIPLES.     57 

Jesus,  "What  seek  ye?"— not  "Whom?"  Answer 
will  reveal  whether  they  are  inspired  by  simple  curi- 
osity or  genuine  interest.  "Where  dwellest  Thou?" 
"Come  and  see."  The  urgency  of  Jesus.  Perhaps 
they  intend  to  ascertain  His  whereabouts,  and  then 
visit  Him  at  their  convenience.  They  are  bidden  at 
once.  They  accept  and  abide  with  Hira  "that"  never- 
to-be-forgotten  "day"  (39). 

2.  Breaking  the  News  to  Peter  (40-42).     Archbishop 

Trench  calls  this  the  Eureka  chapter.  "We  have 
found  the  Messias!"  Andrew  is  apparently  not  so 
great  a  man  as  some  others  of  the  apostles,  but  he 
can  bring  his  brother,  who  is  a  very  aggressive  per- 
son. Twice  again  Andrew  is  portrayed  bringing 
some  one  to  Jesus :  the  lad  with  the  loaves  and  fishes 
(vi,  8),  and  certain  Greeks  (xii,  22).  Herein  lies 
the  key  to  his  character. 

3.  Reading  Peter's  Character  (42).     "I  know  you  as 

you  are,  and  I  know  what  you  can  become — a  stone." 
The  insight  and  foresight  of  Jesus. 

n.  THE  TESTIMONY  OF  PHILIP  AND  NATHANAEL  (43-51). 

1.  Finding  Philip  (43).     On  the  way  to  Galilee  Jesus 

calls  Philip.  An  illustration  of  the  way  in  which 
the  truth  is  sometimes  directly  applied  to  a  man's 
conscience  without  any  apparent  intermediary.  A 
profound  impression  of  the  character  of  Jesus  is  im- 
mediately made  upon  his  mind. 

2.  Breaking  the  News  to  Nathanael  (45).     "We  have 

found  Him."  So  one  torch  lights  another.  Nathan- 
ael's  hesitation.  "Can  any  good  thing  come  out  of 
Nazareth?"  Study  character  of  the  Galileans. 
Philip's  wise  response:  "Come  and  see."  An  echo 
of  Christ's  words  to  Andrew  and  John.  Christian- 
ity's challenge  to  the  world — Investigate.  The 
height  of  wisdom  in  modern  evangelism. 


58       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

3.  Reading  Nathanael's  Character  (47,  48).    His  name 

means,  "the  gift  of  God."  Under  the  fig-tree  Jesus 
saw  the  devotions  of  the  man  whom  He  called  "an 
Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile."  It  was  under 
a  fig-tree  that  Augustine  heard  the  famous  "Take 
and  read."  (Pliimmer.)  Nathanael's  surprise. 
What  consternation  among  us  if  we  saw  ourselves  as 
He  sees  us ! 

4.  Nathanael's  Testimony  (49).    "Thou  art  the  Son  of 

God,  Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel."  The  greater 
title  includes  the  less.  The  response  of  Jesus — 
"Verily,  verily."  "Amen,  amen."  Twenty-five  times 
used  by  John  in  this  gospel.  Always  introduces  a 
truth  of  unusual  importance. 

5.  Christ's   Favorite   Designation   of   Himself.     "The 

Son  of  Man"  (51).  Used  upwards  of  eighty  times 
in  the  four  gospels,  always  by  Christ  of  Himself  as 
Messiah.  Expression  is  found  in  the  Psalms,  where 
it  means  the  ideal  man ;  in  Ezekiel,  where  it  is  ap- 
plied to  the  prophet,  and  in  the  night  visions  of 
Daniel.  Christ's  use  gave  it  a  new  meaning:  in  Him 
the  whole  human  race  culminates.     (Plummer.) 

Note. 

This  call  of  the  disciples  is  to  be  compared  with  the 
final  call  in  Galilee  after  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes. 
(Matt,  iv,  18-22;  Mark  i,  16-20;  Luke  v,  i-ii.)  The 
differences  in  the  accounts  are  sufficient  to  mark  them  as 
two  events. 

Observe  how  Jesus  adapts  Himself  to  the  different 
temperaments  and  conditions  of  men.  For  Andrew  and 
John  there  is  the  ever-memorable  evening  conversation. 
For  Simon  Peter  the  heart-searching  word,  which  pene- 
trates his  very  being.  For  Philip  the  peremptory  com- 
mand, "Follow  Me."  For  Nathanael  a  gracious  cour- 
tesy, which  disarms  his  prejudice.  Thus  there  are  those 
who  seek  Christ,  those  who  are  brought  to  Christ,  and 
those  whom  Christ  seeks.  (Dods.)  Fine  suggestions 
for  evangelistic  diplomacy  here. 


WITNESS  OF  THE  CALLED  DISCIPLES.     59 

Hymn  No.  410. 

Lord,  speak  to  me,  that  I  may  speak 

In  living  echoes  of  Thy  tone ; 
As  Thou  has  sought,  so  let  me  seek 

Thy  erring  children  lost  and  lone. 

— Frances  R.  Havergal. 

Personal  Questions : 

1.  Have  I  dared  to  mention  Christ  to  my  closest 
associates — to  my  brother,  as  Andrew  did  ?  to  my  friend, 
as  Philip  did? 

2.  Have  I  experienced  the  joy  which  Andrew  and 
John  felt  when  they  said,  "We  have  found  the  Messias," 
and  which  Philip  felt  when  he  cried,  "We  have  found 
Him  of  whom  the  Scriptures  speak?" 


Introduced  to  Jesus. 


"Come  and  see." 

"We  have  found  the  Messias!" 

"And  he  brought  him  to  Jesus" 

— John  i,  39,  41,  42. 

The  most  exalted  moments  in  the  biography  of  a  soul 
are  those  which  mark  the  discovery  of  a  great  truth,  in 
quest  of  which  long  and  patient  toil  has  been  expended. 
It  would  be  worth  a  lifetime  of  painful  investigation  to 
experience  the  indescribable  emotions  of  an  Archimedes 
when,  having  suddenly  realized  that  great  law  of  hydro- 
statics with  which  his  name  is  associated,  he  rushed  from 
his  bath  to  arouse  the  sluggish  loungers  on  the  streets 
of  Syracuse  with  his  triumphant,  "I  have  found  it."  One 
might  contentedly  wear  out  a  century  in  assiduous  study, 
if  at  the  end  he  could  enter  into  the  rapture  of  a  Kepler 
when,  having  proved  that  the  ellipse  satisfies  the  require- 
ments of  the  movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  he  ex- 
claimed in  ecstasy,  "O  God,  I  am  thinking  Thy  thoughts 
after  Thee!"    And  who  would  not  covet  the  joy  of  the 


60       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Galilean  fisherman  who,  after  long  waiting  for  the  De- 
liverer of  Israel,  came  upon  Jesus  of  Nazareth  one  day, 
and  after  a  few  hours  spent  in  His  society  rushed  home 
to  his  brother,  and  excitedly  cried,  "We  have  found  the 
Messias !"  That  was  the  greatest  day  in  Andrew's  life, 
and  it  was  fraught  with  immeasurable  consequences. 

Andrew  made  the  acquaintance  of  Jesus  because  he 
was  invited  to  do  so.  The  invitation  came  in  response 
to  his  curiosity  to  see  where  Jesus  lived,  and  his  desire 
for  a  personal  interview  with  Him.  "Come  and  see," 
is  the  Master's  encouraging  word  to  him.  The  next  day 
Philip  adopts  the  same  language  with  Nathanael,  who 
doubts  whether  any  good  thing  can  come  out  of  Nazareth. 
"Come  and  see" — it  is  a  goodly  challenge  for  every  pro- 
tagonist of  Christianity  to  use  with  skeptics.  It  is  the 
one  way  to  meet  misconceptions  and  misrepresentations. 
Men  say  that  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  are  dry,  ob- 
scure, and  confusing.  "Come  and  see ;  perhaps  they  have 
been  improperly  presented  to  you."  They  say  they  have 
doubts  concerning  the  whole  scheme  of  religion,  and  the 
teaching  of  faith  does  not  appeal  to  them.  "Come  and 
see.  Perhaps  there  is  a  solvent  for  your  doubts,  strength 
for  your  weakness,  wisdom  for  your  groping,  salvation 
for  your  sin."  They  say  they  can  not  be  sure  that  Christ 
is  great  enough  for  this  age  with  its  widening  horizon. 
"Come  and  see.  We  invite  investigation.  We  solicit 
examination."  We  remember  the  consequences  of  per- 
sonal inquiry  when  Jesus  was  among  men  in  the  flesh, 
and  are  confident.  It  is  recalled  that,  confronted  by  His 
sublime  presence,  the  temple  police  said,  "Never  man 
spake  like  this  man ;"  that  Nathanael  exclaimed,  "Thou 
art  the  Son  of  God ;  Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel ;"  that 
Peter  said,  "Thou  art  the  Christ ;"  that  the  Centurion 
cried,  "Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God!"  If  we  can  not 
convince  men  of  the  truth  of  our  religion  by  introducing 
them  to  Christ,  there  can  be  no  hope  of  doing  it  by  other 
means,  for  Christ  is  the  luminous  expression  of  His  own 


WITNESS  OF  THE  CALLED  DISCIPLES.     61 

teaching,  the  ultimate  proof  of  His  own  doctrines.  Chris- 
tianity is  Christ,  not  something  about  Christ. 

The  Christian,  therefore,  enjoys  an  advantage  which 
does  not  belong  to  any  other  religionist.  He  is  under  no 
necessity  to  demonstrate  the  credibility  of  his  faith  by  re- 
course to  argument.  To  him  that  is  the  most  delusive 
method  of  proving  religion.  Men  have  made  themselves 
atheists  by  logic,  however  absurd  that  may  seem  to  the 
Christian  who  believes  that  reason  is  wholly  on  his  side. 
There  is  no  creed  so  preposterous  that  it  can  not  be  vindi- 
cated by  rational  processes.  Christianity  stands  not  upon 
argument,  but  upon  a  conviction  wrought  by  contact 
with  a  person,  even  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord.  If  you  bring 
down  upon  an  unbelieving  soul  a  plea  for  Christianity 
which  is  without  one  logical  flaw,  you  may  silence  him, 
but  leave  him  unconvinced.  Argument  seldom  relieves 
doubts.  It  often  drives  them  deeper.  The  wind  in  the 
fable  could  not  tear  the  traveler's  cloak  from  his  shoul- 
ders. He  simply  wrapped  it  the  more  tightly  about  him, 
until  the  genial  sun  warmed  him  into  the  necessity  of 
casting  it  off.  Argument  is  a  hammer  which  pounds 
the  flinty  rock  of  infidelity  into  dust,  but  does  not  change 
its  constituents.  You  can  shatter  the  skeptic's  armor  and 
reduce  him  to  pulp  with  your  merciless  logic,  and  when 
you  have  finished,  every  molecule  in  him  will  still  cry  out 
his  unbelief.  The  irresistible  corrective  for  skepticism  is 
Christ.  "Come  and  see."  And  it  is  not  very  important 
by  what  motive  men  are  led  into  Christ's  society.  An- 
drew and  John  are  curious  to  ascertain  where  Jesus  lives. 
"Come  and  see."  Nicodemus  is  eager  to  discover  how 
much  there  is  the  new  prophet  who  is  making  such  a 
stir.  "Come  and  see,"  though  it  be  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness. Nathanael  is  a  critic,  who  will  apply  severe  tests 
to  one  who  emerges  from  a  place  of  unsavory  reputa- 
tion.   "Come  and  see."    To  come  is  to  be  convinced. 

When  Munkacsy's  "Christ  Before  Pilate"  was  on  ex- 
hibition a  few  years  ago  in  Hamilton,  Ontario,  a  sailor 
from  one  of  the  lake  boats  accosted  the  woman  who  was 
in  attendance  at  the  door  with  the  blunt  question,  "Is 
Christ  here?    How  much  to  see  Christ?"    When  he  was 


62       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

told  the  admission  fee,  he  growled  out,  "Well,  I  suppose 
I  '11  have  to  pay  it,"  and  putting  down  a  piece  of  silver 
he  swaggered  into  the  room.  He  sat  down  in  front  of 
the  great  picture  and  studied  it  for  a  moment  or  two, 
and  presently  off  came  his  hat.  He  gazed  upon  it  a  little 
longer,  and  then  leaning  down  he  picked  up  the  descrip- 
tive catalogue  which  he  had  dropped  when  he  took  his 
seat.  He  read  it  over,  and  studied  the  painting  anew, 
dropping  his  face  into  his  hands  at  intervals.  Thus  he 
remained  for  a  full  hour.  When  he  came  out  there  were 
tears  in  his  eyes,  and  suppressed  sobs  in  his  voice  as  he 
said :  "Madam,  I  came  here  to  see  Christ  because  my 
mother  asked  me  to.  I  am  a  rough  man  sailing  on  the 
lakes,  and  before  I  went  on  this  cruise  my  mother  wanted 
me  to  see  this  picture,  and  I  came  in  to  please  her,  I 
never  believed  in  any  such  thing,  but  the  man  who  could 
paint  a  picture  like  that — he  must  have  believed  in  it. 
There  is  something  in  it  that  makes  me  believe  in  it,  too. 
Madam,  God  helping  me,  I  am  a  changed  man  from  to- 
day." If  an  idealization  of  Christ  by  an  artist  can  so 
effectively  appeal  to  the  conscience  of  a  wayward  man, 
what  will  not  a  vision  of  the  Master,  inspired  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  accomplish  for  those  who  sincerely  seek  an  intro- 
duction to  Him? 

"We  have  found  the  Messias!"  cries  Andrew.  "We 
have  found  Him  of  whom  Moses  in  the  law  and  the 
prophets  did  write,"  says  Philip.  It  is  wonderful  that 
these  men  came  so  quickly  to  admit  the  true  character  of 
Jesus  when  we  remember  the  hesitation  which  marked 
the  conduct  of  many  others  on  first  meeting  the  Master's 
claims.  "He  came  unto  His  own,  and  His  own  received 
Him  not."  His  own  kinsmen  after  the  flesh  were  sus- 
picious of  Him.  His  own  townsmen  rejected  Him,  The 
persons  who  made  public  opinion,  and  were  eminently 
respectable,  finally  hounded  Him  to  death.  Ever  since 
His  story  has  been  known  there  have  been  reputable  peo- 
ple of  all  degrees  of  intelligence  who  have  spurned  Him, 
But  these  disciples  hailed  Him  with  a  faith  which  speed- 
ily blossomed  out  into  rapture. 


WITNESS  OF  THE  CALLED  DSSCIPLES.     63 

To  be  sure,  there  was  a  strong  persuasion  to  the 
credit  of  Jesus  in  the  testimony  of  John  the  Baptist, 
whose  self-effacing  modesty  gave  the  flavor  of  truth  to 
everything  he  would  say  in  another's  behalf.  It  is  much 
that  some  one  in  whom  we  have  confidence  bears  witness 
to  the  facts  of  religion.  Said  an  infidel  lawyer,  who  out 
of  curiosity  had  attended  a  meeting  where  Christian  ex- 
perience was  being  narrated,  "I  hold  in  my  hand  the 
testimony  of  more  than  sixty  persons.  They  use  different 
language,  but  they  all  testify  to  the  same  things.  Many 
of  these  persons  I  know  well.  I  would  believe  their  word 
on  any  subject.  Why  should  I  not  believe  what  they  say 
about  religion?  There  must  be  some  truth  in  what  they 
hold."  But  not  even  the  witness  of  John  the  Baptist 
would  be  enough  to  convince  Andrew  without  the  con- 
firmation wrought  by  his  personal  interview  with  Jesus. 
How  this  did  it  is  difficult  to  explain.  Sometimes  when 
the  soul  can  give  the  least  satisfactory  account  of  its 
convictions  it  holds  to  them  most  tenaciously.  Said 
Emerson :  "All  my  opinions,  affections,  whimsies  are 
tinged  with  belief  .  .  .  But  I  can  not  give  reasons  to  a 
person  of  a  different  persuasion  that  are  at  all  adequate 
to  the  force  of  my  convictions.  Yet  when  I  fail  to  find 
the  reason,  my  faith  is  not  less."  When  the  organist 
touches  the  keynote  of  the  building  he  makes  the  whole 
structure  vibrate  with  the  tip  of  his  finger,  and  every  per- 
son in  it  feels  the  weird  thrill.  When  Christ  speaks  He 
sweeps  the  cords  of  our  nature  with  a  hand  that  awakens 
deep  response.  Every  one  has  experienced  the  mysteri- 
ous sensation  who  has  been  proximate  to  Him.  In  some 
such  way  these  men  realized  the  Divine  power  of  Jesus. 

He  was  not  exactly  what  they  expected  in  the  Mes- 
siah. But  all  their  preconceptions  were  borne  aside  by 
the  charm  of  His  presence.  Said  an  Indian  orator  to 
Montcalm :  "We  wanted  to  see  this  famous  man  who 
tramples  the  English  under  his  feet.  We  thought  we 
should  find  him  so  tall  that  his  head  would  be  lost  in  the 
clouds.  But  you  are  a  little  man,  my  father.  It  is  when 
we  look  into  your  eyes  that  we  see  the  greatness  of  the 
pine  tree  and  the  fire  of  the  eagle."     By  coming  close 


64       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

to  Jesus  Andrew  and  Philip  sprang  into  immediate  con- 
viction that  He  was  the  Christ. 

That  ability  to  recognize  Christ  in  His  true  character 
is  a  high  endowment  in  any  soul.  Not  every  man  who 
has  turned  his  thought  toward  Jesus  has  been  able  to 
assign  Him  to  His  right  place.  Renan  said,  "I  am  the 
only  man  in  my  time  who  has  understood  the  character 
of  Jesus,"  and  then  wrote  a  life  of  the  Nazarene  which 
is  a  perfect  travesty  of  His  person.  Multitudes  have 
failed  as  completely  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  the  Christ. 
But  xA.ndrew  said,  "We  have  found  the  Messias,"  and 
Philip  said,  "We  have  found  Him  of  whom  Moses  in  the 
law  and  the  prophets  did  write" — and  their  joy  was  full. 

Which  is  the  fuller  joy  in  life,  the  discovery  of  a 
great  satisfaction,  or  the  publishing  of  that  discovery  to 
others?  Nearly  always  the  sensations  follow  so  fast 
upon  one  another  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them. 
Still  if  one  could  not  proclaim  his  discovery,  half  the  joy 
of  making  it  would  be  lost.  "Rejoice  with  me;  I  have 
found  the  sheep  that  was  lost !"  cries  the  shepherd.  "Re- 
joice with  me;  I  have  found  the  piece  of  silver  that  was 
lost!"  exclaims  the  woman  who  had  swept  her  house  for 
the  vagrant  coin.  "He  went  out,  and  began  to  publish  it 
much,  and  to  blaze  abroad  the  matter,"  is  written  of  a 
leper  whom  Jesus  cleansed.  "We  have  found  the  Mes- 
sias!" cries  Andrew  to  his  brother.  "And  he  brought 
him  to  Jesus."  The  exuberant  spirit  can  not  rest  until 
his  discovery  has  been  made  known  to  others.  So  the 
scientist  feels  when  he  has  found  a  specific  to  conquer 
a  hitherto  fatal  malady.  So  the  poet  feels  when  he  has 
caught  a  vision  of  truth  through  the  opening  heavens. 
So  the  Christian  feels  when  he  has  looked  upon  the  face 
of  the  Christ,  and  has  been  transformed  into  His  like- 
ness. The  venerable  Bede  dubbed  Andrew  "Introductor" 
— he  introduced  others  to  Jesus.  There  can  be  no  higher 
function  in  life.  "They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 


SECTION  II. 
PERIOD  OF  UNDISTURBED  ACTIVITY. 

CHAPTERS  II-IV. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus, 
in  which  we  have  the  self-manifestation  of  Christ's  glory 
in  works  and  words  ( i )  during  a  period  of  undisturbed 
!  activity,  (2)  during  a  period  of  conflict,  (3)  during  a 
period  of  transition  and  judgment,  the  whole  being  com- 
prehended in  Chapters  II — XII.  We  first  take  up  the 
period  of  comparative  quiet,  which  constitutes  the  second 
section  of  Part  I,  including  Chapters  II — IV.  Jesus  is 
now  slowly  emerging  into  publicity.  He  has  not  yet 
awakened  the  furious  hostility  of  the  Jewish  authorities. 
He  manifests  His  glory  by  working  miracles,  by  exercis- 
ing spiritual  sovereignty,  by  self-revelations  to  individ- 
uals, by  discourses  and  interviews.  These  manifestations 
extend  through  the  entire  section,  which  may  be  divided 
as  follows : 

1.  The;  Wedding  at  Cana. 

2.  The  Cleansing  oe  the  Temple. 

3.  The  Interview  with  Nicodemus. 

4.  The  Final  Testimony  of  John  the  Baptist. 

5.  The  Interview  with  the  Samaritans, 

6.  The  Healing  of  the  Nobleman's  Son. 
S  65 


VI. 
THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA. 

CHAPTER  II.  1-12. 

The  first  three  evangelists  give  us  diverse  aspects  of 
one  glorious  landscape.  Saint  John  pours  over  that  land- 
scape a  flood  of  heavenly  sunshine,  which  seems  to  trans- 
figure its  very  character,  though  every  feature  of  the  land- 
scape remains  the  same. — Farrar. 

First  Work  in  Galilee. 

"Works"  and  "wor.ds"  are  significant  and  definitive  terms 
in  this  Gospel.  Not  only  does  John  make  great  use 
of  them,  but  Jesus  Himself  appeals  to  His  deeds 
and  His  utterances  as  evidence  of  His  divine  char- 
acter and  mission.  In  Part  I  of  His  work  John 
presents  the  testimony  of  works  and  words  in  the 
following  particulars : 

I.  Seven  Notable  Miracles  ("signs")  are  recorded  in 
this  section,  viz. :  Changing  water  into  wine,  healing 
of  the  nobleman's  son,  healing  of  the  lame  man  at 
Bethesda,  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  walking 
on  the  sea,  healing  of  man  born  blind,  raising  of 
Lazarus,  The  first  two  of  these  occur  in  this  sec- 
tion, the  period  of  comparative  quiet.  Though  called 
miracles  in  the  Authorized  Version,  they  are  really 
designated  by  John  as  "signs,"  and  should  always 
be  so  rendered.  Used  seventeen  times  in  John's 
gospel,  and  always  with  the  same  purpose.  At  least 
four  words  in  the  New  Testament  translated  mir- 
acles —  "signs,"  "wonders,"  "works,"  "powers." 
Christ's  miracles  were  in  John's  thought  signs  of 
His  divine  mission,  and  symbolical  of  spiritual  truth. 
67 


68       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

2.  Certain  Episodes  or  Incidents  which,  while  they  are 

not  miraculous,  are  nevertheless  of  the  nature  of 
"signs,"  and  bear  witness  to  Christ's  character,  as 
for  example,  the  cleansing  of  the  temple,  the  tri- 
umphal entry,  and  others. 

3.  Certain  Interviews  or  Conversations,  in  which  Jesus 

discloses  His  true  character  to  individuals.  Most 
important  am.ong  these  are  the  colloquies  with  Nico- 
demus  and  the  Samaritan  woman.  In  such  inter- 
views Jesus  truly  manifests  His  glory, 

4.  Several    Discourses.      John's    Gospel    is    especially 

marked  by  the  fullness  and  variety  with  which  these 
are  given.  Notable  examples  are  the  Bread  of 
Heaven,''the  Good  Shepherd,  the  discussions  in  Jeru- 
salem at  the  feasts.  In  these  Jesus  manifests  His 
glory  and  in  some  instances  evokes  external  testi- 
mony to  His  divine  avithority. 

5.  Results  of  These  Manifestations.     They  produce  on 

the  part  of  some  unbelief,  developing  into  malignant 
opposition;  on  the  part  of  others  belief,  developing 
into  joyous  testimony.  All  this  is  in  harmony  with 
the  purpose  of  John's  Gospel,  as  foreshadowed  in 
the  Prologue  or  Introduction  (i,  1-18). 
We  are  now  to  examine  the  first  of  these  "signs,"  by 
which  Jesus  manifested  His  glory,  producing  belief 
on  the  part  of  His  disciples. 

I.  THE  FIRST  SIGN  (i.  1-12). 

"There  is  an  organic  connection  between  the  first  chapter 
and  the  second.  .  .  .  The  glory  is  declared  in  chap- 
ter one;  the  glory  is  manifested  in  chapter  two." 
(Strong.) 

I.  The  First  Sign  is  in  the  Home  Circle.  Jesus  enters 
sympathetically  and  joyously  into  the  common  life 
of  men.  He  passes  in  this  scene  from  the  retirement, 
in  which  He  has  lived  so  long,  into  the  publicity 
which  marks  His  subsequent  ministry.  This  begin- 
ning of  miracles  is  in  accord  with  the  general  plan 


THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA.  69 

of  Christ's  kingdom,  which  comes  without  observa- 
tion. It  is  in  the  circle  of  the  family  that  He  steps 
out  into  the  perils  of  a  public  life. 

^  The  First  Sign  is  to  Relieve  a  Necessity  (3).  A 
friend  in  time  of  need.  Embarrassment  of  the  situ- 
ation. Arrival  of  a  half-dozen  additional  guests  at 
a  time  when  the  supply  of  refreshments  is  running 
out.  According  to  Eastern  notions  of  hospitality  this 
is  a  disgraceful  calamity.  The  great  day  in  the 
wedded  pair's  life.  Jesus  saves  the  situation,  and 
blesses  the  company.  Characteristic  of  Christ's  mir- 
acles that  they  not  only  display  His  glory,  but  also 
are  essentially  humane  and  benevolent. 

3.  The  First  Sign  Marks  Christ's  Reluctance  to  Dis- 

play Miraculous  Power  (4).  Also  characteristic. 
Unwillingness  to  show  power  for  the  sole  end  of 
evoking  wonder.  Moreover,  this  would  rush  Him 
into  publicity,  absorbing  service  of  a  physical  sort, 
immediate  sacrifice  of  higher  interests,  and  prema- 
ture death,  (a)  The  mother's  solicitude  (v.  3). 
With  a  woman's  interest  and  sympathy,  and  a  wo- 
man's anxiety  to  relieve  a  domestic  embarrassment, 
she  touches  her  great  Son,  of  whose  power  she  has 
had  intimations,  and  of  whose  courtesy  she  has  no 
doubt,  and  says,  "They  have  no  wine."  (b)  Christ's 
rejoinder  (v.  4).  "Woman,"  no  term  of  contempt. 
Equivalent  to  "Lad)^"  Perhaps  a  mild  admonition, 
because  she  was  innocently  interfering  in  a  region 
where  she  was  not  qualified  to  act.  Might  be  ren- 
dered, "Mother,  you  must  let  Me  act  here  in  My 
own  way,  and  My  time  for  action  has  not  yet  come." 
(Dods.)  The  separation  which  is  now  setting  in 
between  His  mother  and  Himself,  so  far  as  earthly 
relations  are  concerned,  will  continue  until  the  cru- 
cifixion makes  it  complete. 

4.  The  First  Sign  Exhibits  Christ's  Lordship  (5-10). 

Mary's  confidence  in  her  Son  survives  the  gentle  re- 
buke (5).  She  knows  His  character.  The  help  is 
given.     They  do  "whatsoever  He  saith,"  and  the 


70       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

water  pots  of  stone  are  filled  to  the  brim  with  the 
choicest  wine  (lo).  The  lordship  of  Jesus  over 
nature  is  manifested  in  a  three-fold  way:  He  is 
shown  to  be  the  life  of  nature,  He  ennobles  nature, 
He  interprets  nature. 

II.  SPIRITUAL  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THE  FIRST  SIGN. 

I.  Criticism  of  the  Story,  (i)  Sometimes  regarded  as 
a  mere  parable,  even  asserted  that  what  is  intended 
is  to  show  that  the  conversation  of  Jesus  was  so 
fascinating  that  the  exhaustion  of  the  wine  was  not 
noticed,  or  if  noticed,  not  missed.  This  contradicts 
plain  meaning  of  the  narrative.  (2)  Omitted  from 
other  gospels.  On  the  same  ground  there  would  be 
greater  reason  for  rejecting  the  statement  of  Paul 
that  Jesus  appeared  to  five  hundred  persons  at  once 
after  His  resurrection,  (i  Cor.  xv,  6.)  The  frag- 
mentary nature  of  the  other  gospels  is  to  be  taken 
into  account.  (3)  Magical.  Answer:  Characteristic 
of  magic  that  it  dispenses  with  existing  matter,  but 
here  Christ  does  not  create,  but  transforms  what  al- 
ready exists.  (4)  Useless.  "A  miracle  of  luxury," 
says  one  objector.  "A  miracle  of  love,"  says  one  de- 
fender. Not  a  parade  of  power.  Excess  not  wasted, 
but  remained  a  rich  wedding  gift  to  the  pair.  (5) 
Immoral.  Conducing  to  intemperance.  All  God's 
gifts  could  be  abused.  The  fed  five  thousand  might 
have  been  gluttonous.  Virtue  consists  not  in  being 
imtempted,  but  in  resisting  temptation.  The  remark 
of  the  governor  of  the  feast  a  crude  pleasantry  based 
on  his  own  probable  experience  at  similar  feasts. 

?.  Reflections  of  Christ's  Glory  in  the  Event.    ( i )  The 

sanctification  of  the  home,  of  festivity,  of  marriage 
through  Christ's  presence  and  conduct  which  is  not 
marked  by  asceticism  like  that  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Christ  entered  life  to  glorify  it.  (2)  Produced  pro- 
found impression  upon  His  disciples.  They  "be- 
lieved on  Him."  So  shall  all  men  when  they  behold 
Him  furnishing  the  desolate  and  the  sinning  with  all 


THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA.  71 

that  can  console  and  sanctify  their  lives.  (3)  The 
munificence  of  Christ.  A  type  of  the  fullness  of 
grace  and  joy  which  Jesus,  the  Christ>  the  Son  of 
God,  brings  to  the  earth. 


Hymn  No.  118. 

Fairest  Lord  Jesus ! 

Ruler  of  all  nature ! 
O  Thou  of  man  and  God  the  Son ! 

Thee  will  I  cherish, 

Thee  will  I  honor. 
Thee,  my  soul's  glory,  joy,  and  crown. 

— From  the  German. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  admitted  Christ  to  my  home,  to  sanctify  all 
the  joys  of  my  household? 

2.  Have  I   learned  to  observe   His  mother's  admo- 
nition, to  do  whatsoever  He  commands? 


The  Key  to  Conduct. 

"Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it." — John  ii,  5. 

One  of  Haydn's  friends  once  asked  him  how  it  hap- 
pened that  his  Church  music  was  almost  always  of  an 
animating,  cheerful,  and  even  festive  quality.  The  great 
composer  replied :  "I  can  not  make  it  otherwise.  I  write 
according  to  the  thoughts  I  feel.  When  I  think  upon 
God  my  heart  is  so  full  of  joy  that  notes  dance  and  leap, 
as  it  were,  from  my  pen ;  and  since  God  has  given  me  a 
cheerful  heart,  it  will  be  easily  forgiven  me  that  I  serve 
Him  with  a  cheerful  spirit." 

It  is  noteworthy  that  Jesus  enters  upon  His  public 
career  through  the  gateway  of  the  most  joyous  social 
institution,  and  that  during  His  entire  ministry  He  mani- 
fested a  cordial  sympathy  with  the  festive  customs  of  the 


72       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

people.  To  the  mind  familiarized  with  the  tragic  fea- 
tures of  His  Hfe,  and  depressed  by  the  tone  of  sadness 
which  pervades  much  of  His  speech  and  action,  the  spec- 
tacle of  Jesus  mingling  with  the  merry  company  in  the 
gay  intercourse  of  a  wedding-feast,  and  joining  freely  in 
the  jovial  and  light-hearted  talk  common  to  such  an  occa- 
sion, is  a  trifle  disturbing.  And  if  one  is  infected  with 
the  folly  which  makes  asceticism  a  necessary  accompani- 
ment of  the  deepest  piety,  he  will  be  somewhat  puzzled 
by  this  apparent  incongruity.  But  let  him  remember 
that  Jesus  possessed  a  complete  human  nature,  that  His 
participation  in  an  event  of  almost  hilarious  human  joy 
marks  His  perfect  fellowship  with  men  and  women,  that 
without  occupying  such  a  plane  of  equality  with  them 
He  could  have  done  little  for  their  salvation,  and  that 
His  presence  at  this  feast  has  forever  established  the 
sanctity  of  marriage,  the  propriety  of  innocent  festivity, 
and  the  fitness  of  religion  to  heighten  the  delights  of 
society.  Furthermore,  is  not  the  limitless  extent  of 
Christ's  authority  clearly  set  forth  in  the  fact  that  the 
first  exhibition  of  His  miraculous  power  occurred  in  the 
domestic  circle?  He  asserts  Himself  at  the  very  center 
of  the  social  organism.  That  means  that  He  is  Master 
everywhere. 

An  heroic  statue  of  Prince  Bismarck,  surrounded  by 
allegorical  figures,  rises  in  an  immense  square  in  Berlin 
to  the  west  of  the  Reichstag  Palace.  The  illustrious 
maker  of  united  Germany  stretches  out  his  hand  of 
bronze  toward  the  massive  structure,  within  which  the 
elected  representatives  of  the  nation  are  legislating  for 
the  people,  as  if  to  caution  and  guide  them  in  their  de- 
liberations. This  is  impressively  apt,  for  it  is  known 
of  all  men  that,  though  Bismarck  has  passed  into  the  un- 
seen world,  his  colossal  genius  still  exercises  sway  over 
the  destinies  of  the  German  commonwealth.  In  a  nobler 
sense  Jesus  lifts  Himself  from  the  page  of  history,  and 
discloses  His  eternal  dominancy  of  the  world.  And  the 
picture  of  His  mother  designating  Him  as  the  master  of 


THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA.  73 

a  difficult  and  embarrassing  situation  is  but  a  figure  of 
the  entire  Christian  community  called  the  Church,  when- 
ever she  is  true  to  her  divine  commission,  indicating  Him 
as  the  final  authority  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  practice. 
John  Ruskin  says  at  the  close  of  one  of  his  volumes: 
"This  is  the  sum  of  all  my  writing,  'Whatsoever  He 
saith  unto  you,  do  it.'  "  This  should  be  both  the  essence 
and  the  substance  of  all  Christian  teaching.  Christ's 
word  is  the  ultimate  test  of  belief  and  behavior.  Christ's 
power  and  sympathy  constitute  man's  sole  reliance.  Still 
a  large  share  of  Christendom  is  under  the  delusion  that 
His  mother  possesses  a  kind  of  spiritual  superiority, 
based  upon  her  maternal  relation  to  Him  in  the  flesh. 
Yet  in  this  very  narrative  Jesus  is  shown  to  avow  His 
independence  of  her.  "Woman,  what  have  I  do  with 
thee?  Mine  hour  is  not  yet  come."  Mariolatry  is  a  fas- 
cinating form  of  devotion.  The  adoration  of  the  Virgin 
finds  warrant  for  those  who  use  it  in  sentiments  truly 
beautiful.  But,  how  can  reason  or  religion  have  any 
patience  with  the  notion  that  Mary  can  secure  extraor- 
dinary favors  for  her  partisans,  while  she  is  constantly 
urging,  "Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it?"  He  is 
sufficient  in  Himself,  requiring  no  corrective  for  His 
judgment,  no  stimulus  for  His  sympathy,  no  supplement 
to  His  efficiency. 

The  present  Kaiser  said  early  in  his  reign,  "Nothing 
must  be  done  anywhere  on  the  globe  without  the  sanc- 
tion of  Germany's  ruler."  It  was  a  boastful  proclama- 
tion of  the  sovereign's  faith  in  his  own  position  as  the 
lord  of  a  world-power.  His  title  to  such  pre-eminence 
may  some  day  be  in  dispute,  for  governments  are  jealous ; 
but  Christ's  authority  in  the  spiritual  domain  is  not  open 
to  question.  His  mastery  is  not  only  legitimate,  but  it 
admits  of  no  rivalry.  It  is  maintained  not  by  force  of 
arms,  but  by  supremacy  of  moral  power  over  the  souls 
of  men.  Renan's  words  are  true :  "He  is  a  thousand 
times  more  living,  a  thousand  times  more  loved,  than  He 
was  in  His  short  passage  through  life.     He  presides  still 


74      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

day  by  day  over  the  destiny  of  the  world.  He  started  us 
in  a  new  direction,  and  in  that  direction  we  still  move." 
Some  kind  of  authority  for  the  guidance  of  life  all 
conscientious  persons  are  seeking.  It  would  gratify  many 
of  them  if  they  could  obtain  an  authentic  utterance  di- 
rectly from  Heaven  concerning  every  problem  of  life. 
They  wish  that  a  standard  of  moral  weights  and  meas- 
ures were  available  like  that  which  the  government  has 
adopted  for  use  of  material  commodities.  John  Fiske 
records  the  impressions  of  a  little  American  girl  in  Paris, 
who  said,  "Every  man  here  has  to  have  some  other  man 
to  see  that  he  does  what  he  ought  to  do."  It  sometimes 
seems  that  to  have  a  monitor  who  would  infallibly  cor- 
rect us  when  we  wander  from  the  truth,  and  mark  out 
for  us  a  wise  procedure  in  every  emergency,  and  advise 
us  exactly  how  to  meet  every  questionable  suggestion, 
would  be  a  great  piece  of  fortune.  If  God  would  only 
write  His  will  on  the  sky  with  intervolved  lightning 
flashes  in  language  we  could  read  with  ease,  how  satis- 
factory it  would  be !  To  ascertain  the  right  which  He 
desires  us  to  choose,  and  to  distinguish  the  wrong  which 
he  wishes  us  to  avoid — here  is  a  problem  too  compli- 
cated for  us.  Not  if  we  heed  the  words  of  Mary,  "What- 
soever He  saith  to  you,  do  it."  Nothing  is  to  be  done 
anywhere  in  the  world  of  Christian  activity  without  His 
sanction.  Life  is  amazingly  simplified  when  it  is  thus 
subordinated  to  the  control  of  Christ.  Intellectual  diffi- 
culties melt  away  when  the  soul  adopts  Paul's  policy  of 
"bringing  into  captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience 
of  Christ."  Questions  of  conduct  are  solved  readily  when 
one  agrees  that  "Whether  we  live,  we  live  unto  the  Lord, 
and  whether  we  die,  we  die  unto  the  Lord:  whether  we 
live  therefore,  or  die,  we  are  the  Lord's." 

It  is  unsafe  to  substitute  any  other  method  if  we 
desire  to  reach  ultimate  authority.  Can  we  not  depend 
upon  reason?  Is  not  the  mind  a  spectroscope  to  unbraid 
commingled  truth  and  falsehood,  to  detect  and  analyze 
the  qualities  of  things  which  lie  remote  from  our  hands. 


THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA.  75 

to  measure  moral  bulks  and  distances?  Is  not  intellect, 
with  its  various  functions,  capable  of  making  sure  judg- 
ments? The  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God."  ''The 
natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God :  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  Him ;  neither  can  he 
know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned."  Gro- 
tesque fancies  take  hold  of  the  best  brains,  and  the  closest 
reasoners  may  become  the  vilest  livers. 

Is  not  this  moral  instinct  we  call  conscience  an  ade- 
quate authority  for  the  conduct  of  life?  In  its  normal 
state  it  is  as  delicate  and  sensitive  as  a  balance  which  is 
turned  by  a  fleck  of  dust  or  a  drop  of  dew.  It  admon- 
ishes of  evil ;  it  speaks  the  praise  of  good.  It  makes  the 
soul  miserable  in  vice  and  happy  in  virtue.  Is  not  this 
the  voice  of  authority — determining  duty  and  denounc- 
ing sin?  But  conscientious  men  have  wrought  terrible 
mischief  in  the  earth.  Paul  thought  himself  a  devout 
servant  of  God  while  hounding  the  followers  of  Christ 
to  death.  In  all  good  conscience  men  have  written  dam- 
nable heresies  in  their  books,  and  under  the  sanctions  of 
religion  have  performed  deeds  of  violence  and  shame. 

Is  not  the  Church  our  sufficient  guide  to  faith  and 
service?  Called  into  being  by  the  providence  of  God 
to  be  a  perpetual  witness  to  the  truth,  her  leaders  as- 
sumed to  be  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  her  councils 
working  on  in  successive  centuries  to  forge  faith  into 
perfect  forms,  her  chief  bishops  exercising  lordship  over 
the  consciences  of  men,  the  results  of  her  work  in  the 
world  evidencing  the  divinity  of  her  mission — is  not  the 
Church  an  infallible  source  of  authority?  The  Romanist 
would  have  us  believe  this.  But  does  history  confirm  us 
in  the  judgment?  What  enormities  have  flourished  un- 
der the  white  shield  of  the  Church !  It  is  an  institution 
composed  of  fallible  human  beings,  however  holy  may 
be  its  purpose.  Governments  derive  their  rights  from 
God.  Monarchs  and  magistrates  are  servants  of  the 
Most  High.  But  how  imperfectly  they  represent  Him ! 
Yet  they  are  to  be  regarded  with  honor.  So  the  Church 
is  to  be  esteemed  with  veneration,  but  it  can  not  be  the 


76       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

total  reliance  of  those  who  seek  final  authority  for  the 
conduct  of  life. 

Will  not  the  Scriptures  furnish  us  with  the  certitude 
we  require?  Can  we  not  turn  confidently  to  them  for 
precise  guidance  in  every  exigency?  Only  as  we  place 
Christ  above  the  written  revelation,  and  interpret  all  that 
is  recorded  in  the  light  of  His  person.  Remember  that 
sentences  from  the  Bible  have  been  used  to  buttress  slav- 
ery, to  intrench  polygamy,  to  vindicate  persecution,  to 
establish  superstition,  to  approve  war,  and  to  confirm 
errors  and  iniquities  of  every  sort.  Recognize  the  im- 
perfectness  of  reason,  the  corruptibility  of  conscience, 
the  fallibility  of  the  Church,  and  observe  how  utterly  im- 
possible it  is  to  depend  upon  any  human  interpretation  of 
the  Scriptures. 

Reason  must  be  corrected  by  the  thought  of  Him 
"in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge." Conscience  must  be  clarified  by  Him  who  said, 
"I  am  the  light  of  the  world."  The  Church  must  be  ad- 
judged by  the  spirit  of  Him  who  said  the  gates  of  Hell 
should  not  prevail  against  it.  The  Bible  must  be  inter- 
preted by  the  words  and  works  of  Him  who  said  of  the 
Scriptures,  "These  are  they  which  testify  of  Me."  Christ 
is  Himself  the  ultimate  authority  in  the  realm  of  the 
spirit.    "Whatsoever  He  saith  unto  you,  do  it." 


When  one  of  Verdi's  great  compositions  was  ren- 
dered for  the  first  time  in  Florence,  it  was  received  with 
tremendous  applause  by  the  huge  assembly  which  came 
to  hear  it.  But  the  torrent  of  popular  enthusiasm  which 
swirled  about  him  was  not  powerful  enough  to  turn  his 
gaze  from  the  face  of  Rossini,  who  sat  in  the  audience. 
Without  that  master's  intelligent  approval  the  tumult  of 
the  throng  brought  no  happiness  to  his  soul.  Unless 
Christ  says,  "Well  done !"  we  may  regard  our  faith  in- 
adequate and  our  lives  ineffective.  But  since  He  speaks 
in  no  audible  voice  to  us,  how  can  we  know  His  com- 
mands, how  determine  the  course  He  would  have  us  pur- 
sue?   The  matter  is  not  involved  in  deep  perplexity. 


THE  WEDDING  AT  CANA.  77 

Do  we  want  to  know  His  will?  There  is  much  in  that. 
It  is  inconceivable  that  a  man  should  study  the  Gospels, 
imbibe  their  spirit,  follow  their  teachings,  and  live  in  com- 
munion with  Him  whose  story  they  tell,  and  still  fail 
to  perceive  the  ideals  on  which  life  should  be  molded. 
Is  it  our  fondest  wish  to  live  the  life  of  Christ?  That 
will  settle  every  question  fundamental  to  correct  conduct 
and  sound  faith.  It  may  not  make  blunders  of  judgment 
impossible,  or  protect  the  mind  from  minor  and  non- 
essential heresies,  but  it  will  enthrone  vital  truth  in  the 
soul,  and  keep  life  sweet  and  wholesome  to  the  end.  It 
is  incredible  that  a  man  who  lives  in  daily  fellowship 
with  Christ  through  the  Spirit  should  not  know  what  his 
Master  desires  him  to  do  in  relation  to  business,  politics, 
society,  pleasure,  and  the  various  concerns  of  common 
life.  He  may  have  no  specific  word  touching  the  minute 
details  of  conduct,  but  he  will  have  a  governing  principle 
covering  every  conceivable  exigency,  and  the  Divine 
mind  will  inspire  and  influence  his  judgment  to  a  right 
decision.  Those  who  enter  into  spiritual  fellowship  with 
the  Master,  and  abide  in  that  sacred  comradeship,  may 
say  with  St.  Paul,  "We  have  the  mind  of  Christ."  To 
secure  the  Divine  point  of  view,  and  to  be  actuated  by 
the  Divine  motives,  is  to  make  certain  of  the  noblest 
character  and  the  finest  actions.  In  such  a  happy  estate 
the  words  of  Lowell  have  a  deeper  meaning  than  their 
original  setting  conveys : 

"  'Tis  as  easy  now  for  the  heart  to  be  true 
As  for  grass  to  be  green  or  skies  to  be  blue — 
'T  is  the  natural  way  of  living." 


VII. 
CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 

CHAPTER  II.   13-21. 

For,  verily,  beneath  the  tranquil  surface  of  this  Gospel, 
which  is  filled  to  so  great  an  extent  with  what  the  Lord 
Himself  said,  are  deep  and  fervid  ocean-currents  of  holy 
life  and  love,  which  no  one  can  undertake  to  explore  and 
describe  without  being  made  to  feel  the  dimness  of  His 
vision  and  the  feebleness  of  His  speech. — Hovey. 

Work  in  Jerusalem — Commenced. 

The  dark  picture  placed  over  against  the  bright,  festal 
scene  described  in  the  former  part  of  the  chapter.  Typ- 
ical of  John's  method  of  artistic  contrast  and  balance,  of 
which  he  gives  several  striking  instances,  (i)  The  first 
of  a  series  of  episodes  related  by  our  author  which, 
equally  with  His  miracles,  manifest  the  glory  of  Christ. 
(2)  Compare  this  account  with  the  similar  event  which 
occurred  during  the  last  Passover  of  Christ's  ministry. 
Sufficient  reasons  for  believing  that  the  events  are  not 
identical.  If  they  are  one,  either  John  or  the  other 
writers  were  in  error  as  to  chronology.  The  difficulty 
of  believing  that  the  temple  v/as  twice  cleansed  not  great. 
The  evil  had  a  chance  to  return  after  the  first  spasm  of 
reform  had  spent  itself.  Jesus  would  again  express  His 
indignation  if  this  occurred.  He  would  thus  signalize 
both  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  His  ministry  by  an 
exhibition  of  the  Messianic  authority  of  His  office.  Dif- 
ferences in  details  also  mark  the  two  accounts.  (Matt. 
xxi;  Mark  xi ;  Luke  xix.)  The  words  of  Jesus  on  the 
two  occasions  are  different.  The  situations  are  different. 
His  own  thought  is  apparently  different.  (3)  The  sig- 
nificance of  this  event  as  the  opening  or  inauguration  of 
Christ's  public  ministry.     In  Jerusalem,  at  the  temple, 

78 


CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  79 

probably  on  the  eve  of  the  Passover.  Here  are  fore- 
shadowed Christ's  authority,  mission,  enthusiasm,  self- 
devotion.  Also  in  bold  relief  the  criticism  and  unbelief 
of  His  enemies,  together  with  the  deepening  belief  of  His 
disciples.  Here  also  anticipations  of  His  rejection  by  the 
authorities  and  the  destruction  of  the  temple  of  His  body. 

I.  THE  IMPRESSIVE  ACT  (14-17). 

I.  The  Provocation  (14).  The  profanation  of  the  Tem- 
ple. The  situation.  Temple  had  three  holy  courts : 
that  of  the  priests,  which  enclosed  the  sanctuary  or 
temple  proper;  east  of  this  the  court  of  the  men; 
east  of  this  the  court  of  the  women.  Around  these 
courts  was  a  vast  open  space,  fourteen  acres  in  ex- 
tent, and  separated  from  the  inner  courts  by  a  wall 
breast  high,  and  bearing  warnings  which  prohibited 
encroachment  of  the  Gentiles  on  pain  of  death.  This 
outermost  space  was  enclosed  on  four  sides  by  colon- 
nades, and  was  called  the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  the 
only  part  of  the  sacred  place  into  which  proselytes 
might  enter.  Here  has  been  established  by  the  con- 
nivance of  the  authorities  a  market  or  exchange, 
occupied  by  cattle  dealers,  sellers  of  doves,  and 
money-changers.  There  were  reasons  for  regard- 
ing this  a  legitimate  convenience.  Worshipers  com- 
ing from  a  distance  found  it  an  accommodation  to 
obtain  here  what  they  required  for  sacrifice.  More- 
over, money-changers  were  necessary.  The  annual 
tax  of  half  a  shekel  paid  to  the  Temple  treasury 
could  only  be  paid  in  the  sacred  currency,  to  avoid 
sacrilege  of  using  money  stamped  with  idolatrous 
symbols  and  foreign  emblems  implying  submission 
to  aliens.  But  flagrant  abuses  had  crept  in.  The 
poor  were  disgracefully  cheated.  An  extortionate 
rate  of  exchange  was  charged,  sometimes  ten  or 
twelve  per  cent.  Worshipers  approaching  would 
have  the  serenity  of  devotion  rudely  disturbed  by 
shouts  and  wrangling  of  the  traffickers.  The  thing 
had  become  a  sore  scandal,  which  no  one  had  yet 
been  bold  enough  to  remedy. 


80       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

2.  The  Revolt  of  Christ's  Moral  Sense.     Into  such  a 

scene  Jesus  comes.  He  is  shocked  by  the  sights  and 
sounds.  Can  not  endure  the  profanation  of  His 
Father's  house.  The  Temple  more  to  Him  than  to 
these  merchandizing  traders.  He  feels  Himself  re- 
sponsible for  the  removal  of  this  scandal,  not  as  a 
mere  Jew,  but  as  the  King  of  the  Jews.  He  is  fully 
conscious  of  His  Messianic  dignity.  What  He  said 
about  His  Father's  house  when  He  was  twelve  years 
old,  conversing  with  the  doctors  in  this  very  place. 
(Luke  ii,  49.)  Possibly  some  who  heard  Him  now, 
had  listened  to  Him  then.  Thoughts  of  His  mind 
somewhat  different  on  the  two  occasions.  He  will 
now  assert  His  authority. 

3.  His  Dramatic  Attack  (15,   16).     Not  content  with 

mere  denunciation.  He  accompanies  His  words  wdth 
a  symbolic  action.  Twists  together  a  scourge  and 
wields  it  above  His  head.  Does  not  probably  use  it 
on  the  backs  of  the  traders.  The  physical  act  would 
be  disproportionate  to  the  result.  He  prevails  not 
because  of  blows,  but  because  the  consciences  of  the 
sinners  yield  to  His  authoritative  manner.  ( i )  The 
audacity  of  the  deed.  Find  illustrative  parallels  in 
history.  (2)  His  justification.  The  disciples  re- 
member a  passage  of  Scripture  (Psa.  Ixix,  9),  and 
apply  it  at  once  in  their  minds.  His  righteous  in- 
dignation. The  pious  zeal  of  the  Master.  He  could 
do  nothing  less.  A  bad  thing  requires  a  drastic 
remedy.  Just  when  every  Jew  is  purifying  himself 
for  the  feast,  Jesus  in  the  exercise  of  His  Messianic 
rights  will  purify  the  Temple,  His  Father's  house. 

II.  THE  CONSEQUENCES  (18-22). 

I.  An  Explanation  Demanded  (18).  The  natural  con- 
sternation of  the  temple  authorities.  "Who  is  this 
invader  of  our  privileges  ?  How  will  He  authenticate 
His  deed?  "What  sign  showest  Thou  unto  us?" 
they  ask.  Characteristic  of  the  Pharisees,  who  could 
never  apparently  see  that  Chr><;t's  works  and  words 


CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  81 

were  self-authenticating,  as  John  is  always  contend- 
ing. They  were  His  sufificient  credentials.  The  pro- 
fane crowd  falling  back  before  the  calm  majesty  of 
Christ  an  adequate  evidence  of  His  authority. 

2.  Christ's  Enigmatical  Response  (19,  20).    Why  given 

in  such  a  form?  Not  intended  to  be  understood. 
Christ  never  works  a  wonder  to  satisfy  curiosity. 
Used  as  an  accusation  against  Him  at  the  end  of 
His  life.  (Matt,  xxvi,  61;  Mark  xiv,  58.)  They 
misunderstood  His  meaning.  Preposterous,  they 
feel,  that  He  should  be  able  to  raise  up  this  temple, 
which  had  already  been  forty-six  years  building,  in 
three  days.  Find  other  illustrations  of  both  ignorant 
and  willful  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  Christ's 
enemies. 

3.  Interpretation  of  the  Response  (21).    John  gives  it 

himself.  No  occasion  to  look  farther.  The  temple 
of  His  body.    A  deep  and  significant  response. 

4.  Subsequent  Effect  on   the   Disciples    (22).     After 

Christ's  resurrection  they  remembered  this  day,  and 
its  great  utterance.  Their  faith  confirmed.  Their 
conviction  of  Christ's  true  character  deepened. 


Hymn  No.  355. 

Come,  almighty  to  deliver. 
Let  us  all  Thy  grace  receive ; 

Suddenly  return,  and  never. 
Never  more  Thy  temples  leave. 

— Charles  Wesley. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  surrendered  the  temple  of  my  nature  to 
Jesus  ? 

2.  Has  He  expelled  from  the  sanctuary  of  my  soul 
all  that  offends  His  will? 

6 


82        STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 
The  Finest  Temple  in  the  World. 

"He  spake  of  the  temple  of  His  body." — ^John  ii,  21. 

Said  Novalis :  "There  is  but  one  temple  in  the  world, 
and  that  is  the  body  of  man.  Nothing  is  holier  than  this 
high  form.  Bending  before  men  is  reverence  done  to 
this  revelation  in  the  flesh.  We  touch  Heaven  when  we 
lay  our  hands  on  a  human  body."  That  conception  has 
the  flavor  of  novelty  in  the  minds  of  too  many  persons, 
but  it  was  not  original  with  Novalis.  Jesus  "spake  of  the 
temple  of  His  body,"  and  He  was  probably  the  first  in 
human  history  to  employ  that  impressive  figure  of  speech. 
The  ancients  had  regarded  the  body  as  the  seat  of  evil 
and  the  most  obstinate  enemy  of  a  righteous  life.  Two 
schools  of  philosophy  had  long  been  contending  for  uni- 
versal patronage  when  Jesus  appeared  among  men:  the 
Epicurean,  which  taught  that  the  sensations  were  all  that 
could  be  reckoned  in  man,  and  whose  founder  placed 
over  the  portal  of  his  garden  where  he  instructed  his 
disciples  the  words,  "Here  pleasure  is  the  highest  good ;" 
and  the  Stoics,  who  taught  that  all  the  instincts  of  nature 
were  to  be  crushed  and  effaced  until  the  individual  had 
been  reduced  to  a  perfect  state  of  apathy.  From  neither 
of  these  doctrines  could  an  exalted  estimate  of  the  dig- 
nity of  the  human  body  be  expected.  But  Jesus  "spake 
of  the  temple  of  His  body." 

The  persistence  of  wrong  conceptions  of  human  life 
is  remarkable.  The  Epicureans  and  Stoics  have  their 
representatives  among  us  to  this  day.  On  the  one  hand 
are  the  lovers  of  fleshly  indulgence,  who  find  their  high- 
est good  in  the  excitements  of  the  flesh,  in  meat  and 
drink,  in  diversions  and  sports;  and  on  the  other  hand 
are  the  ascetics,  who  frown  at  all  pleasure,  suffocate 
every  natural  propensity,  deny  themselves  all  gratification 
of  the  physical  appetites,  and  take  a  melancholy  satis- 
faction in  every  kind  of  self-suppression.  In  each  of 
these  cases  the  body  is  abused.  In  the  one  instance  it  is 
debased  by  sensuality,  in  the  other  it  is  disgraced  by  con- 


CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  83 

tempt.  The  roue,  the  debauchee,  the  libertine,  the  friv- 
olous devotee  of  pleasure  show  us  the  wickedness  of  the 
one;  the  hermit,  the  anchorite,  the  Hindu  fakir  who 
starves  and  shrivels  his  body  to  prove  his  saintliness,  men 
like  Simeon  Stylites  who  undergo  voluntary  suffering  to 
subordinate  the  body  to  the  spirit,  show  us  the  folly  of 
the  other.  But  Jesus  "spake  of  the  temple  of  His  body." 
The  temple,  observe,  must  neither  be  profaned  by 
wickedness  nor  disgraced  by  idleness.  It  is  to  be  used, 
and  to  be  used  for  a  holy  purpose.  It  is  the  shrine  in 
which  God  desires  to  reside.  That  fact  imparts  the  high- 
est dignity  to  human  life.  Men  have  often  been  willing 
to  give  God  a  share  of  their  being,  but  in  the  thought 
of  Jesus  the  body  is  the  actual  temple  of  God.  That  con- 
ception has  been  worked  out  with  much  fidelity  by  the 
apostle  Paul,  who  reminds  his  readers  repeatedly  that 
they  are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  to  pro- 
fane their  bodies  is  the  most  deadly  species  of  sacrilege, 
(i  Cor.  iii,  i6;  vi,  19,  20;  2  Cor.  vi,  16.)  The  idea  is 
now  a  part  of  the  common  belief  of  Christians,  and  is  for 
that  reason  in  danger  of  losing  its  majestic  power.  For, 
as  Coleridge  well  says :  "Truths,  of  all  others  the  most 
awful  and  interesting,  are  too  often  considered  as  so  true, 
that  they  lose  all  the  power  of  truth,  and  lie  bed-ridden 
in  the  dormitory  of  the  soul,  side  by  side  with  the  most 
despised  and  exploded  errors." 

A  local  habitation  for  God  is  a  conception  at  which 
philosophy  may  sneer,  but  which  the  limitations  of  the 
finite  mind  seem  to  require,  not  only  in  the  infancy  of  the 
race,  but  in  the  most  progressive  stages  of  human  devel- 
opment. The  declaration  that  God  is  everywhere,  while 
It  fills  the  soul  with  wonder  and  awe,  is  disposed  to  turn 
the  mind  to  Pantheism — the  theory  that  God  is  every- 
thing— or  to  an  abstraction  which  virtually  asserts  that 
God  is  nothing.  An  accommodation  to  the  needs  of 
man's  thought  has  been  made  in  the  divine  revelation. 
The  fiery,  cloudy  pillar,  ever  lifting  its  majestic  form 
above  the  moving  hosts  of  Israel,  became  to  them  the 


84       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

visible  habitation  of  Jehovah,  toward  which  they  con- 
stantly turned  their  eyes  and  their  supplications.  The 
Tabernacle,  with  its  sacred  furniture  and  its  holy  shrine, 
became  in  due  season  the  tangible  abode  of  the  living 
God,  toward  which  Israel  directed  pious  thoughts  and 
heavenly  aspirations.  The  glittering  Temple  which  su- 
perseded the  Tabernacle,  rising  with  matchless  splendor 
from  Mount  Moriah,  at  length  became  the  local  habita- 
tion of  that  God  who  through  many  centuries  of  warfare 
had  finally  led  His  people  to  a  fixed  national  existence. 
Without  a  visible  temple  men  have  instinctively  lifted 
their  faces  upward  and  away  from  the  earthly  wilder- 
ness to  that  Holy  of  Holies  above  the  clouds,  from  the 
glories  of  which  we  are  separated  by  the  thin  veil  of  the 
flesh.  But  with  the  advent  of  Jesus  Christ  came  a  new 
levelation.  The  cloudy  pillar  has  faded  into  invisibility. 
The  Tabernacle  has  moved  beyond  human  ken.  The  veil 
of  the  Temple  has  been  rent  in  twain,  and  God  has  chosen 
humanity  for  His  visible  habitation.  The  irresistible 
proof  of  God's  existence  is  that  "He  dwelleth  in  us." 

The  dignity  thus  conferred  upon  humanity  is  incom- 
parably great.  Upon  the  ancient  Tabernacle,  under  the 
constraint  of  Divine  inspiration,  the  largest  wealth  which 
a  nomad  people  could  command  was  piously  bestowed. 
A  single  piece  of  its  furniture — the  golden  candlestick — 
has  been  computed  at  a  value  of  not  less  than  $25,000, 
while  the  whole  structure  has  been  estimated  at  $1,250,- 
000.  Such  honor  did  God  desire  to  impart  to  His  visible 
abode.  The  magnificence  of  Solomon's  Temple,  with  its 
cedars  from  the  forests  of  Lebanon,  its  walls  of  vast 
hewn-stone  faced  with  gold,  its  ceilings  of  fir-trees,  its 
pillars  of  brass,  its  sacred  vessels  of  gold,  its  rich  hang- 
ings, its  golden  pavements,  its  gorgeous  ceremonies,  its 
lavish  sacrifices,  is  memorable  above  any  building  in  the 
world.  Costly  sanctuaries  still  have  their  office  in  re- 
ligious worship.  Vast  cathedrals  yet  eloquently  proclaim 
the  sovereignty  and  holiness  of  God.  But  they  are  only 
symbols  of  the  sublimer  temples  in  which  Deity  is  en- 


CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  85 

shrined.  Not  all  the  religious  sects  in  the  world  could 
justly  point  to  an  edifice  on  which  they  had  bestowed 
incalculable  treasures  of  money  and  genius  as  the  su- 
preme temple  of  God.  Cleansed  humanity  now  enjoys 
greater  distinction  than  could  be  conceived  to  invest  the 
old  Tabernacle,  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  noblest 
ecclesiastical  structures  of  all  time.  It  is  not  without 
commendable  reverence  that  men  walk  with  bowed  heads 
through  the  solemn  aisles  of  great  temples,  adorned  with 
every  enrichment  which  human  genius  prompted  by 
simple  devotion  can  provide.  But  with  how  much  pro- 
founder  veneration  ought  we  to  regard  renewed  human- 
ity, since  more  truly  in  this  temple  of  clay  than  in  any 
sculptured  pile  God  dwells  and  pours  forth  His  glory. 

The  responsibility  of  caring  for  such  a  temple  of  the 
Lord  is  commensurate  with  the  dignity  thus  conferred 
upon  men.  With  what  appropriate  jealousy  did  the 
ancient  Jew  defend  his  tem.ple  against  the  encroachments 
of  unholy  men.  When  Ptolemy  Philopator  entered  Jeru- 
salem, after  having  subdued  Judea,  and  attempted  to 
force  his  way  into  the  sanctuary,  he  was  repelled  by 
Simon  the  high  priest.  But  when  the  profane  conqueror 
still  persisted,  and  seemed  likely  to  accomplish  his  wicked 
purpose,  the  whole  city  gave  itself  up  to  such  a  tumult  of 
wailing  that  the  very  walls  and  pavements  seemed  to 
shriek  out  their  protest  against  the  proposed  sacrilege, 
and  Ptolemy,  seized  with  an  extraordinary  awe  and  hor- 
ror, trembled  like  a  reed  before  the  wind,  and  fell  speech- 
less to  the  earth.  No  records  are  more  replete  with  nar- 
ratives of  daring  and  sacrifice  than  those  which  recite 
the  constant  struggle  maintained  by  the  Jews  against 
their  enemies,  in  that  last  period  of  their  history  before 
the  advent  of  Jesus,  to  prevent  the  spoliation  of  their 
temple.  Many  are  the  instances  in  which  they  surren- 
dered their  lives  with  the  glorious  satisfaction  of  martyrs 
in  defense  of  the  holy  place.  Such  an  enthusiasm  for 
the  sanctity  of  the  human  temple  ought  to  characterize 
every  Christian. 


86       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Alas !  what  numerous  foes  attempt  to  despoil  the 
sanctuary  of  the  Holy  Ghost!  Through  the  gateway  of 
the  eye,  which  is  calculated  to  be  the  avenue  of  approach 
for  the  beautiful  and  the  pure,  may  throng  evil  impres- 
sions enough  in  one  hour  to  degrade  a  soul  forever. 
Through  the  open  portals  of  the  ear  may  surge  a  legion 
of  devils  to  despoil  the  purity  of  life.  Through  all  the 
senses  of  the  body  and  all  the  highways  of  the  mind  the 
lust  of  the  world  and  the  pride  of  life  make  their  baleful 
entrance.  What  powers  of  defense,  what  dauntlessness 
of  spirit,  are  required  to  protect  the  temple  of  God ! 

History  tells  us  that  when  Hyrcanus  had  failed  in  his 
ambitious  schemes  he  fled  beyond  the  Jordan,  and  at  a 
place  not  far  from  Heshbon  erected  a  great  castle  made 
of  white  marble.  This  he  adorned  without  and  within 
in  the  most  sumptuous  manner,  and  surrounded  it  with 
a  deep  fosse.  But  not  one  of  the  doors  of  entrance  or 
communication  was  wider  than  would  admit  one  man  at 
a  time,  lest  the  master  should  be  surprised  by  his  enemies. 
At  each  of  these  approaches  a  faithful  warder  could  be 
stationed,  and  the  owner  of  the  stronghold  might  thus 
rest  in  almost  perfect  security.  Would  that  men  could 
thus  shut  themselves  against  the  surprises  of  sinful  pro- 
pensities played  upon  by  the  seductions  of  the  flesh,  and 
be  protected  from  the  powers  of  ill  that  are  all  abroad. 
But  this  is  impossible.  We  are  in  the  world,  and  here 
must  we  tarry  until  God  removes  us  to  an  atmosphere 
of  unsullied  purity.  Meanwhile  let  it  be  our  anxious 
care  that  every  entrance  to  the  inner  life  be  guarded 
against  the  least  approach  of  sin.  And  this  will  be  no 
small  task,  for  the  Adversary  of  souls  is  eager  to  usurp 
the  throne  of  the  Most  High.  He  is  "the  son  of  per- 
dition, who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  above  all  that 
is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshiped;  so  that  he  as  God 
sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he 
is  God." 

When  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  one  of  the  most  das- 
tardly characters  in  history,  captured  the  city  of  Jeru- 


CLEANSING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  87 

salem  he  entered  every  court  of  the  temple,  pillaged  the 
treasury,  seized  all  the  sacred  utensils,  the  golden  candle- 
stick, the  table  of  shew-bread  and  the  altar  of  incense. 
He  then  commanded  a  great  sow  to  be  sacrificed  upon 
the  altar  of  burnt-offering,  a  part  of  the  flesh  to  be 
boiled  and  the  liquor  from  the  unclean  animal  to  be 
sprinkled  over  every  portion  of  the  temple;  and  thus  he 
desecrated  with  the  most  horrid  defilement  the  sacred 
place  which  for  centuries  had  been  considered  by  the 
Hebrews  the  holiest  spot  in  all  the  universe.  Two  years 
later  the  sanctuary  which  had  always  been  regarded  the 
dwelling  place  of  Jehovah,  and  sacred  alone  to  Him, 
was  dedicated  by  the  authority  of  this  infamous  man  to 
the  pagan  god  Jupiter  Olympius.  and  a  statue  of  that 
deity  was  erected  upon  the  altar  of  burnt-offering.  Thus 
would  Satan  sweep  into  the  sacred  enclosure  of  the  soul 
and  defile  it  with  his  own  pestilential  presence.  And 
such  a  flagrant  profanation  he  accomplishes  in  every  de- 
graded human  character.  Not  in  an  hour  or  a  day  is 
this  kind  of  destruction  completed,  but  by  slow  and  steady 
reaches  into  the  center  of  the  soul's  sanctity  is  the  dread- 
ful ruin  achieved.  Let  the  first  approach  of  the  seducer 
be  repelled.    No  compromise  is  permissible. 

But,  if  into  any  life  influences  of  evil  have  begun  to 
creep,  there  is  a  Power  by  whom  the  temple  may  be 
cleansed.  The  Spirit  of  God,  whose  sovereignty  in  the 
bosom  of  Jesus  made  it  possible  for  the  Master  to  drive 
the  sacrilegious  horde  from  the  Father's  house,  which 
they  had  turned  into  a  den  of  thieves,  if  appealed  to  in 
any  exigency,  will  swiftly  sweep  the  despoiler  from  the 
temple  of  clay. 

Dore's  great  picture  of  the  punishment  of  Heliodorus, 
who  was  dispatched  by  King  Seleucus  to  capture  the  in- 
calculable treasures  which  were  laid  up  in  the  Jewish 
Temple,  will  illustrate  the  vengeance  which  God  will 
mete  out  to  the  enemies  of  purity.  Though  the  whole 
city  was  in  an  agony  of  apprehension,  and  the  high 
priest  was  in  the  deepest  distress,  the  royal  officer  ad- 


88       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

vanced  to  plunder  the  splendid  temple.  Suddenly  a  horse 
with  a  terrible  rider,  clad  in  golden  armor,  rushed  into 
the  courts  and  trampled  upon  Heliodorus  with  his  fore- 
feet. Two  young  men  of  great  strength  and  beauty,  and 
gloriously  attired,  stood  by  the  rider  and  scourged  the 
intruder  with  great  violence.  At  the  sight  of  the  awful 
apparition  Heliodorus  fell  half-dead  upon  the  pavement, 
and  was  carried  senseless  from  the  precincts  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. Thus,  so  tradition  has  it,  by  supernatural  inter- 
position was  the  holy  temple  delivered  of  its  defiler. 
Thus  we  may  be  assured  by  Divine  help,  if  God  be  in- 
voked, shall  iniquity  be  expelled  from  the  life  it  has 
seized  for  destruction. 

The  body  of  Jesus  is  the  archetype  of  every  renewed 
human  life.  "He  spake  of  the  temple  of  His  body." 
He  was  conscious  of  the  Divine  presence.  It  is  the 
privilege  of  every  man  to  be  joyously  aware  of  the  same 
sublime  possession.  "Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple 
of  God,  and  that  the  vSpirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?" 
Augustine  says,  "Dost  thou  wish  to  pray  in  a  temple? 
Pray  in  thyself.  But  first  be  a  temple  of  God."  Faber's 
lines  express  the  immeasurable  truth,  which  every  Chris- 
tian may  realize  for  himself: 

But  God  is  never  so  far  off 

As  even  to  be  near. 
He  is  within ;  our  spirit  is 

The  Home  He  holds  most  dear. 

To  think  of  Him  as  by  our  side 

Is  almost  as  untrue 
As  to  remove  His  throne  beyond 

Those  skies  of  starry  blue. 

So  all  the  while  I  thought  myself 
Homeless,  forlorn,  and  weary. 

Missing  my  joy  I  walk  the  earth, 
Myself  God's  sanctuary. 


VIII. 
INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS. 

CHAPTER  II.  23— III.  21. 

The  Gospel  of   the  world,  resolving  reason  into  intu- 
ition and  faith  into  sight. —  Westcott, 

Work  in  Jerusalem — Continued. 

John  prefaces  this  episode  with  a  statement  of  the 
general  situation  in  Jerusalem  after  the  cleansing  of  the 
Temple  (ii,  23-25).  The  interview  with  Nicodemus 
which  follows  is  a  particular  instance  of  the  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  works  of  Jesus  in  the  capital.  It  illustrates 
also  the  mental  attitude  of  the  best  Jews  in  the  city.  It 
affords  a  fine  example  of  Christ's  discourses  with  indi- 
viduals. With  it  may  be  profitably  compared  the  inter- 
view with  the  Samaritan  woman  in  Chapter  IV. 

1.  Time  and  Occasion.     In  Jerusalem,  at  the  Passover, 

during  the  Feast.  The  whole  people  are  assembled 
in  greater  numbers  than  at  any  other  time  of  the 
year,  and  at  the  place  which  God  had  chosen.  Anni- 
versary of  the  birth  of  the  nation.  Celebration  both 
patriotic  and  religious.  Opportune  time  for  a  mani- 
festation of  Christ's  glory.  "Many  beheved  in  His 
name  when  they  saw  the  miracles  which  He  did" 
(23). 

2.  A  False  Faith.     They  were  disposed  to  believe  they 

had  found  the  Messiah,  but  they  grounded  their  faith 
in  Christ's  supernatural  works,  not  in  the  character 
of  His  person.  The  "signs"  which  He  was  habit- 
ually performing  impressed  them,  but  the  faith  which 
rested  on  marvels  would  fail  when  the  marvels  were 
discontinued.     Consider  the  relative  value  of  mir- 


90       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

acles  in  our  own  day  as  an  attestation  of  the  divinity 
of  Christ. 

3.  The  Distrust  of  Jesus  (24).    Jesus  did  not  "commit" 

Himself.  Same  word  translated  "believe"  in  verse 
23.  A  justifiable  rendering  would  be :  "Many  trusted 
in  His  name,  .  .  .  but  He  did  not  trust  them," 
Compare  Chap,  vi,  14,  where  Jesus  declined  the 
homage  of  people  springing  from  false  hopes  and 
beliefs,  also  Matt,  vii,  21-23.  This  faith  arose  out 
of  astonishment.    True  faith  is  inward  and  moral. 

4.  The  Insight  of  Jesus  (24,  25).    "He  knew  what  was 

in  man."  Instances  of  His  superior  knowledge: 
Peter  (i,  42)  ;  Nathanael  (i,  47,  48)  ;  Nicodemus 
(iii,  3)  ;  Samaritan  woman  (iv,  29)  ;  Disciples  (vi, 
61,  64)  ;  Judas  (vi,  70;  xiii,  11)  ;  Thomas  (xx,  27)  ; 
Peter  (xiii,  38;  xxi,  17).  The  Creator  knew  His 
creatures,  and  needed  no  one  to  instruct  Him.  Per- 
haps John  lays  no  emphasis  here  upon  the  omni- 
science of  Jesus,  but  implies  that  His  supernatural 
knowledge  was  in  a  measure  analogous  to  our  own. 

THE  CONVERSATION  CONCERNING  THE  KINGDOM 

(  iii,  1-21). 

Two  queries  have  arisen  touching  this  passage,  viz. : 
Have  we  here  the  exact  language  of  Jesus  where 
He  is  reported  as  speaking,  and  is  the  latter  portion 
of  this  discourse  the  speech  of  Christ,  or  the  com- 
ment of  John?  In  reply  to  the  first  it  may  be  said, 
that  certain  utterances  are  so  far  above  the  intelli- 
gence of  man  that  they  could  not  have  been  invented, 
and  are  so  sharp  and  sententious  that  they  could 
not  have  been  forgotten  when  once  heard.  There 
is  also  the  fact  of  inspiration  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count. See  John  xiv,  26.  Yet  the  personality  of 
the  writer  was  not  effaced  by  inspiration,  and  the 
record  may  have  been  colored  in  some  degree  by 
John's  literary  style.  But  it  is  to  be  remembered 
that  one  so  close  to  Jesus  as  was  John  would  in- 
evitably acquire  the  Master's  modes  of  expression, 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS.  91 

and  would  thus  naturally  report  Him  with  great 
verbal  fidelity.  As  to  the  second  query,  it  has  been 
held  by  some  that  this  passage  consists  of  two  parts : 
first,  the  actual  conversation  of  Christ  with  Nico- 
demus  ( 1-15)  ;  second,  the  commentary  of  John  upon 
this  conversation  (16-21).  Others  contend  that 
Jesus  is  speaking  throughout.  It  seems  improbable 
that  John  would  change  from  Christ's  words  to  his 
own  without  marking  the  transition  in  some  plain 
way.  It  is  at  least  permissible  to  divide  the  passage 
into  two  portions:  first,  the  conversation  about  the 
new  birth;  and  second,  the  relation  of  Christ's  per- 
son to  this  doctrine. 

I.  THE  NEW  BIRTH  (1-12). 

This  is  the  first  of  those  discourses,  both  private  and 
public,  which  form  so  important  a  part  in  this  gos- 
pel, and  which  constitute  one  of  its  finest  character- 
istics. 

1.  The  Interlocutor's  Position  (i).    Nicodemus  an  ex- 

cellent example  of  those  who  had  a  certain  measure 
of  faith  in  Jesus  because  of  His  miracles.  Jesus 
reads  Him  without  an  interpreter,  as  John  has  al- 
ready declared  He  can  do  with  any  man.  Jesus  did 
not  trust  Himself  to  him  at  the  first,  though  in  the 
course  of  the  interview  He  did  unveil  Himself  to 
a  great  degree,  in  consequence  of  which  we  have  a 
wonderful  deliverance  on  a  most  fundamental  theme. 

2,  His  Plausible  Approach  (2).     A  certain  amount  of 

complacency  in  His  manner.  Begins  with  a  compli- 
ment. May  have  been  influenced  by  the  report  which 
the  deputation  from  the  Sanhedrin  had  brought  back 
from  their  visit  to  John  the  Baptist.  Admits  that 
Jesus  is  entitled  to  the  name  "rabbi,"  not  technically, 
of  course,  as  He  has  not  pursued  the  rabbinical 
curriculum,  but  evidencing  a  kind  of  divine  authen- 
tication. The  common  people,  it  might  be  presumed, 
would  misunderstand  Him,  but  the  Pharisees  would 


92       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

perceive  the  significance  of  His  work,  and  were  not 
unkindly  disposed  toward  Him. 

3.  Christ's  Check  (3).     He  is  perhaps  shocked  at  the 

ruler's  lack  of  spiritual  insight.  Christ  has  not  come 
to  continue  the  old  order,  but  to  establish  a  new 
one.  Therefore  breaks  in  upon  the  placidity  of  Nico- 
demus  with  His  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you." 
Birth  from  above  is  the  prerecjuisite  for  entrance 
into  the  kingdom.  "From  above"  instead  of  "again," 
say  scholars  generally.  Thrice  elsewhere  John  uses 
the  word  in  this  sense,  and  it  is  natural  to  suppose 
he  does  here,  and  this  meaning  accords  with  the 
phrase  "born  of  God"  in  i,  13.  It  is  possible,  how- 
ever, to  render  it,  "from  the  beginning,"  "anew," 
"afresh."  In  any  case  a  new  start  is  signified,  with- 
out which  even  perception  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  impossible,  much  less  entrance  into  it.  This  is 
philosophical ;  for,  since  the  kingdom  is  spiritual, 
our  natural  powers  can  not  apprehend  it.  The 
phrase,  "kingdom  of  God,"  occurs  only  once  in  this 
gospel,  here  and  in  verse  5,  though  it  is  very  com- 
mon in  the  others.  Probably  the  exact  phrase  used 
by  Christ  on  this  occasion.  It  signifies  the  theocracy, 
"the  new  state  of  salvation."  (Plwnmer.)  Jesus, 
not  a  mere  enthusiast,  seeking  followers,  or  he 
would  not  have  turned  so  valuable  a  prospective 
adherent  aside  with  the  declaration  that  he  who  be- 
lieves merely  on  the  strength  of  miracles  can  not 
see  the  kingdom  of  God. 

4.  The  Ruler's  Attempt  to  Parry  (4).    Did  Nicodemus 

ask  this  question  for  the  purpose  of  reducing  Christ's 
statement  to  an  absurdity?  Or,  not  knowing  what 
to  say,  did  he  propound  a  foolish  inquiry?  Or  did 
he  honestly  desire  to  bring  out  the  amazing  diffi- 
culties of  the  doctrine?  New  birth  as  a  figure  of 
regeneration  was  not  unknown  to  such  a  man.  Still 
the  problem  is  a  great  mystery.  It  is  impossible  to 
conceive  of  a  physical  rebirth;  is  it  easier  to  think 
of  a  spiritual  rebirth?  Can  a  man's  whole  life  be 
altered  at  one  stroke  ? 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS.  93 

5.  Christ's  Reaffirmation  (5).     "Verily,  verily"  always 

introduces  some  profound  truth  drawn  from  Christ's 
inner  divine  consciousness.  "Water  and  spirit" 
typify  purification  and  spiritual  quickening;  one  an 
external  act  involving  an  internal  change — baptism 
and  repentance — the  other  an  internal  operation  in- 
volving external  changes — the  vitalizing  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  will  manifest  itself  in  an  altered  life. 
Without  these  two  in  reality  no  man  can  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God.  No  exclusive  dependence  upon  a 
rite  or  ordinance  is  suggested,  however,  as  the  case 
of  the  penitent  thief  on  the  cross  will  show. 

6.  The  Rational  Ground  of  the  Doctrine  (6-8).    To  the 

"flesh"  belongs  all  that  constitutes  the  life  of  sensa- 
tion. That  life  is  tainted  with  sinful  inheritances 
and  propensities.  What  is  received  from  above  is 
a  nature  essentially  spiritual  and  endowed  with  heav- 
enly aspirations  and  capacities.  The  one  can  not 
pass  into  the  other.  There  must  be  a  birth  from 
above.  Nicodemus  does  not  understand  the  Spirit's 
activity.  The  mysteriousness  of  this  process  is  no 
reason  for  discrediting  it,  any  more  than  the  inex- 
plicable operations  of  nature  make  them  incredible. 
Christ's  illustration  perhaps  suggested  by  the  wind 
swirling  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  the  sound 
of  which  reaches  their  ears.  The  evidence  of  the 
mysterious  working  of  the  Spirit  is  found  in  the 
effects  produced  in  human  lives. 

7.  The  Puzzled  Ruler  (9-12).     Bewildered  but  silent, 

impressed  but  unconvinced.  "Perhaps,  perhaps,  but 
how?"  Jesus  professes  amazement  at  this.  The 
Jewish  theology,  in  which  Nicodemus  is  presumed 
to  be  instructed,  ought  to  have  prepared  him  for 
such  a  doctrine.  If  this  teaching,  which  refers  to 
things  occurring  on  earth,  though  proceeding  from 
above,  is  incomprehensible,  what  will  the  teaching  of 
deeper  things  concerning  eternal  life  be  to  him? 


94       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

II.  RELATION  OF  CHRIST'S  PERSON  TO  THIS  DOCTRINE 

(13-21). 

1.  The  Source  of  This  Teaching.     The  Son  of  man, 

who  though  He  was  in  heaven  has  descended  to  the 
earth  to  bring  this  knowledge  to  men  (13). 

2.  The  Nature  of  His  Mission.    He  must  be  lifted  up, 

as  Moses  lifted  up  the  brazen  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
ness, that  men  may  look  on  Him  and  have  eternal 
life  (14,  15). 

3.  The  Motive  of  This  Mission.     Divine  love  for  hu- 

manity ;  a  passion  for  the  salvation  of  men  which 
will  not  stop  short  of  the  utmost  expenditure  (16). 

4.  Its   Historic   Completion   (17-19).     The  advent  of 

Christ  to  be  the  Savior  of  men,  who  will  believe  in 
Him  unto  eternal  life.  This  life  is  awarded  not  to 
those  who  merely  believe  in  "signs,"  but  to  those 
who  trust  in  the  crucified  Messiah. 

5.  Cause   of   Apparent    Failure.      Men   love   darkness 

rather  than  light  when  their  deeds  are  evil.  Those 
who  are  evil  shun  the  light  because  they  do  not  wish 
to  have  their  wickedness  exposed.  Those  who  are 
good  seek  the  light  because  they  wish  their  deeds 
to  be  made  manifest  as  inspired  of  God  (20,  21). 


Hymn  No.  292. 

O  what  amazing  words  of  grace 

Are  in  the  gospel  found ! 
Suited  to  every  sinner's  case. 
Who  knows  the  joyful  sound. 

— Samuel  Medley. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  entered  the  kingdom  of  God? 

2.  Do  I  believe  this  teaching  of  Jesus? 

3.  Does  God's  love  constrain  me? 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS.  95 

The  Secret  of  the  Kingdom. 

"Art  thou  a  master  of  Israel,  and  knowest  not  these 
things?" — John  iii,  lo. 

Boswell  informs  us  that  he  once  asked  Johnson  if 
there  was  good  conversation  at  a  dinner  which  the  great 
man  had  attended  the  preceding  day.  "No,  sir,"  said 
Johnson,  "we  had  talk  enough,  but  no  conversation — 
there  was  nothing  discussed." 

In  the  interview  which  forms  the  basis  of  our  present 
meditation  there  was  a  serious  attempt  at  discussion  by 
one  of  the  parties  to  the  conversation,  who  quickly  found 
it  necessary  to  drop  into  the  position  of  a  pupil  receiving 
instruction  from  a  master. 

Many  of  Christ's  most  wonderful  messages  were  de- 
livered in  the  colloquial  form.  It  is  customary  to  char- 
acterize Jesus  as  a  great  preacher,  and  to  ascribe  to  Him 
the  temperament  of  the  orator  and  the  instincts  of  the 
poet.  For  such  assertions  there  is  ample  justification 
in  the  published  words  of  our  Lord.  But  He  was  essen- 
tially a  talker  with  men.  While  some  of  His  utterances 
are  so  arranged  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  connected 
discourse,  scarcely  any  of  these  fulfills  the  requirements 
of  set  speech,  with  logical  framework,  systematic  devel- 
opment, and  rhetorical  conclusion;  and  they  were  de- 
scribed by  the  speaker  himself  as  "these  sayings  of  mine." 

Fortunately  the  professional  interviewer  did  not  ply 
his  art  in  Christ's  day,  or  we  might  be  puzzled  with  dis- 
torted narratives  of  the  Master's  conversations.  Public 
men  in  our  time  are  constantly  protesting  that  the  zeal- 
ous reporter  has  placed  on  their  lips  language  they  never 
dreamed  of  uttering  and  sentiments  which  they  do  not 
entertain.  The  case  might  have  been  no  less  disturbing 
if  we  had  received  formal  accounts  of  the  conversations 
of  Jesus.  But  the  evangelists  have  apparently  preserved 
for  us  the  residuum  which  memory  strained  off  from  the 
mass  of  Christ's  deliverances  to  which  they  listened,  the 
Holy  Spirit  having  guided  their  minds  to  make  such  a 


96       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

selection  of  the  Master's  words  as  should  be  sufficient 
for  our  instruction. 

There  is  obviously  no  attempt  to  secure  the  effect  of 
climax.  Whatever  dramatic  power  is  apparent  in  Christ's 
conversations  springs  from  the  subject  matter  and  the  cir- 
cumstances under  which  it  was  delivered.  There  is  such 
evident  artlessness  in  the  form  of  these  interviews  as  to 
make  it  impossible  for  us  to  suppose  they  were  arranged 
with  a  view  to  their  effect  upon  those  who  should  after- 
ward read  them.  In  the  conversation  before  us  we  have 
the  setting  forth  of  one  of  the  great  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  our  faith.  To  feel  the  spirit  of  the  occasion  and 
to  enter  into  the  meaning  of  Christ's  discourse,  let  us 
examine  the  situation  out  of  which  this  colloquy  ensued. 

The  dignitary  who  came  to  see  Jesus  was  a  person  of 
great  significance.  "There  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees 
named  Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews."  The  fact  of  his 
ecclesiastical  position  is  announced  before  his  name  is 
given,  as  though  it  were  a  matter  of  large  moment,  and 
indeed  it  is  a  thing  which  must  be  kept  constantly  before 
our  minds.  According  to  the  conception  of  the  Pharisees, 
every  Jew  who  was  a  true  Israelite,  exhibiting  the  legal 
virtues  in  his  life,  possessed  in  this  fact  the  right  of  mem- 
bership in  the  Messianic  Kingdom,  an  institution  which 
they  fancied  would  be  the  old  theocracy  restored  with  all 
its  material  power  and  circumstantial  glory.  Possibly 
Nicodemus  suspected  that  if  Jesus  were  not  the  predicted 
Messiah,  He  was  at  least  the  harbinger  of  the  anticipated 
revolution  out  of  which  the  new  kingdom  would  issue. 
Jesus  was  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  Pharisees  who  were 
secretly  studying  His  personality  and  pretensions.  They 
would  come  to  no  determination  touching  His  claims 
until  they  had  made  an  exhaustive  investigation  of  His 
words  and  works,  but  Nicodemus  resolved  to  ascertain 
for  himself,  by  a  personal  interview  with  Jesus,  both  the 
real  character  of  the  man  and  the  probability  of  the  suc- 
cess or  failure  of  His  mission. 

As  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  a  man  of  wealth  and 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS.  97 

influence,  belonging,  as  one  might  say,  to  the  supreme 
court  of  the  Jewish  people,  the  functions  of  which  were 
both  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  he  was  in  a  position  to  help 
or  hinder  the  cause  of  the  new  leader  of  his  people.  He 
would  cautiously  inquire  into  the  methods  of  this  Gali- 
lean peasant-prophet ;  he  would  estimate  the  worth  of 
the  man.  If  he  were  convinced  that  the  plans  of  Jesus 
were  sane,  and  gave  any  promise  of  success,  he  would 
quietly  attach  himself  to  the  movement  which  Jesus  was 
inaugurating,  and  would  then  render  to  Him  such  advice 
as  his  age  and  experience  qualified  him  to  proffer. 


Under  cover  of  darkness  Nicodemus  makes  his  way 
to  the  place  where  Jesus  is  being  entertained.  This 
fact  has  sometimes  been  used  to  prove  him  a  coward — 
a  charge  which  can  not  be  justly  brought  against  him. 
A  man  who  would  risk  his  position  by  seeking  an  inter- 
view with  Jesus,  under  any  circumstance ;  a  man  who 
protested  at  a  later  day  that  Jesus  ought  not  to  be  con- 
demned to  death  without  a  proper  trial ;  a  man  who, 
when  Jesus  had  been  crucified  as  an  enemy  to  the  State, 
dared  to  join  with  Joseph  of  Arimathea  in  securing  for 
the  dead  agitator  an  honorable  burial,  can  not  reason- 
ably be  denounced  as  craven  in  spirit.  He  simply  exer- 
cises the  natural  caution  of  a  public  man  whose  every 
word  and  deed  passes  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  author- 
ities. 

It  is  the  Passover  Week  and  Jerusalem  is  crowded 
with  people  from  all  parts  of  Palestine.  We  may  suppose 
it  to  be  a  windy  night  from  the  figurative  allusion  subse- 
quently made  by  Jesus.  The  Passover  moon  is  flooding 
the  city  with  its  silvery  tide.  The  venerable  ruler  of  the 
Jews  partially  conceals  his  face  in  the  folds  of  his  mantle, 
and  hurries  on  as  unostentatiously  as  possible  to  the  place 
where  Jesus  is  staying.  We  can  see  him  climbing  up  the 
outer  staircase  which  leads  to  the  upper  room  set  apart 
as  a  guest  chamber  in  an  Oriental  house.  We  can  fancy 
the  salutations  which  occur  as  Nicodemus  enters  the 
place,  and  we  can  feel  deeply  the  dramatic  intensity  of  the 
7 


98       STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

moment  when  the  grave  and  reverend  ruler  confronts 
the  youthful,  but  serene  peasant  of  Galilee,  who  shows 
in  the  calm  depth  of  His  placid  countenance  the  steady 
purpose  of  a  soul  inspired  by  a  sublime  mission.  The 
scene  is  an  impressive  one,  and  if  Nicodemus  could  have 
realized  its  significance  his  first  utterance  would  have 
halted  on  his  lips. 

Once  when  a  company  of  congenial  spirits  were  dis- 
cussing their  probable  sensations  if  some  of  the  greatest 
characters  who  formerly  lived  among  men  should  enter 
their  presence,  Charles  Lamb  stammered  out:  "You  see, 
if  Shakespeare  came  into  this  room,  we  should  all  arise; 
if  Christ  appeared,  we  should  all  kneel."  Every  devout 
person  who  acknowledges  the  true  quality  of  Christ's  per- 
son will  sympathize  with  this  beautiful  sentiment,  but  to 
Nicodemus  Jesus  bore  no  marks  of  divinity.  Neverthe- 
less the  venerable  man  is  compelled  to  acknowledge 
the  superiority  of  the  person  whom  he  has  essayed  to 
interrogate.  He  therefore  opens  the  conversation  by 
a  gentle  recognition  of  the  power  which  Jesus  had  been 
exercising  in  His  extraordinary  way.  "We  know  that 
Thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God,  O  Master,  for  no 
man  can  do  these  miracles  that  Thou  doest  except  God 
be  with  him.  Of  course,  you  have  not  been  trained  in 
the  schools,  and  you  occupy  no  official  position,  but  you 
have  an  authority  which  is  higher  than  any  which  these 
can  give.  You  have  an  unquestionably  Divine  attesta- 
tion." 

At  this  point  Jesus  interrupts.  He  is  not  offended 
at  what  may  seem  to  be  an  attempt  to  flatter  Him,  for 
Nicodemus  has  not  undertaken  to  patronize  the  Master 
by  words  of  studied  adulation ;  he  is  simply  expressing 
in  terms  of  moderation  a  certain  deference  for  the  re- 
markable Person  whose  wonderful  works  have  been 
brought  to  his  attention.  But  Jesus  knows  that  the  con- 
ceptions of  the  kingdom  of  God  which  exist  in  the  mind 
of  Nicodemus  are  constructed  upon  those  traditions  which 
the  teachers  of  Israel  have  for  centuries  been  propagat- 
ing ;  and  He  virtually  says  to  the  ruler  of  the  Jews :  "My 
dear  sir,  you  are  not  in  a  position  to  enter  the  kingdom 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS.  99 

of  God,  you  do  not  even  understand  this  kingdom ;  in 
fact,  you  can  not  perceive  the  kingdom  of  God.  Before 
you  can  have  any  just  notion  of  this  kingdom  you  will 
need  to  be  born  again.  It  w^ill  be  necessary  for  you 
to  begin  life  anew.  The  kingdom  of  God  can  not  be  in- 
herited; the  fact  that  you  belong  to  the  aristocracy  of 
the  Hebrews  does  not  entitle  you  to  membership  in  the 
kingdom.  You  can  not  buy  the  kingdom ;  you  can  not 
earn  the  kingdom.  There  is  no  necessary  relation  be- 
tween the  political  drama  which  you  have  conceived  and 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Your  very  nature  must  be  trans- 
formed before  you  can  have  any  sympathy  with  the  king- 
dom of  God.    You  must  be  born  again." 

How  many  people  living  in  our  own  time  require  a 
similar  readjustment  of  their  views  concerning  the  king- 
dom of  God?  They  imagine  that  this  kingdom  is  to  be 
established  by  some  kind  of  revolution.  They  can  not 
see  that  midnight  meetings  to  plan  an  overthrow  of  exist- 
ing conditions  are  utterly  abortive,  or  that  the  use  of 
material  agents  is  perfectly  futile.  Like  Maxim  Gorky, 
and  men  of  his  ilk,  who  are  unwilling  to  see  in  any  con- 
cession of  the  Russian  autocracy  an  approximation  to 
liberty  which  may  eventually  lead  to  the  freedom  of  their 
people,  they  fail  to  discover  that  by  a  quiet,  persistent 
influence  the  kingdom  of  God  is  finally  to  prevail.  That 
kingdom  does  not  come  by  observation.  It  is  not  set  up 
as  a  consequence  of  insurrection.  It  does  not  emerge 
from  a  tumult.  Jesus  was  compelled  constantly  to  insist 
on  the  unobtrusive,  continuous  influence  of  His  kingdom. 
The  figure  of  the  leaven  which  a  woman  hid  in  the  dough 
she  was  fashioning  into  bread  was  intended  to  fasten  this 
principle  in  the  minds  of  Christ's  disciples.  There  are 
persons  who  fancy  that  some  swift,  radical  cataclysm 
must  suddenly  thrust  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  conquer- 
ing power  upon  the  world.  Nothing  can  be  more  foreign 
to  the  genius  of  our  religion. 

Such  persons  need  to  be  reminded  that  mere  externals 
have  little  to  do  with  the  real  kingdom.    We  could  go 


100      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

on  erecting  vast  structures  of  ecclesiastical  authority,  and 
never  by  this  means  usher  in  the  kingdom  of  God  with 
power.  Protestants  are  deluded  by  the  fallacy  we  are 
considering.  They  are  frightened  at  the  spreading  of 
the  Roman  communion.  They  see  its  political  power — 
its  wisdom  in  the  building  of  churches  and  schools,  its 
skill  in  seizing  upon  strategic  points,  and  they  covet  this 
abihty  and  astuteness,  and  wish  that  Protestantism  could 
emulate  this  example.  But  we  might  capture  the  seats 
of  all  governments,  plant  universities  in  all  capitals,  put 
our  hands  on  all  the  sources  and  secrets  of  statecraft, 
lay  hold  of  all  the  treasures  of  the  earth  in  the  name  of 
Christianity,  compel  all  the  nations  of  men  to  acknowl- 
edge our  sovereignty,  yet  not  have  the  kingdom  of  God. 
The  kingdom  is  one  of  spiritual  ideals  and  spiritual 
achievements.  A  lot  of  rude  huts  strung  along  the 
Ganges,  filled  with  Hindus  serving  God  out  of  pure 
hearts,  would  come  nearer  to  being  the  kingdom  of  God 
than  an  aggregation  of  costly  cathedrals,  shining  with 
precious  gems,  filled  with  fragrant  incense,  but  devoid  of 
spiritual  power,  and  mere  monuments  of  ecclesiastical 
authority. 

/^ 

If  men  can  not  see  the  kingdom  of  God  which  "is 
not  meat  and  drink,  but  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost,"  it  is  very  evident  that  they  can  not 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God.  That  specific  qualification  is 
essential  to  perceiving  the  kingdom  of  God  is  in  harmony 
with  the  very  constitution  of  human  life.  Spiritual  things 
are  spiritually  discerned,  as  all  things  of  a  finer  essence 
are  only  understood  by  those  who  are  themselves  re- 
fined. That  a  man  is  an  excellent  blacksmith  does 
not  qualify  him  to  appreciate  the  music  of  Beethoven, 
or  the  pictures  of  Raphael,  or  the  poetry  of  Homer. 
There  is  a  vast  difference  in  the  power  of  souls  to  appre- 
ciate the  larger  and  deeper  revelations  of  beauty  in  na- 
ture and  in  art.  Superficial  persons  will  gaze  upon  some 
wonder  of  creation,  such  as  a  towering  mountain,  or  the 
majestic  ocean,  or  a  vast  abyss,  and  express  their  ad- 


INTERVIEW  WITH  NICODEMUS  101 

miration  in  terms  so  puerile  as  to  show  that  their  emo- 
tions are  as  light  as  foam.  But  a  great  scientist  like  Sir 
David  Brewster,  looking  upon  the  wing  of  a  tiny  insect, 
will  exclaim,  "O  God,  how  marvelous  are  Thy  works!" 
A  woman  was  one  day  discussing  with  a  man  the 
probable  meaning  of  one  of  the  most  obscure  passages  in 
the  works  of  Robert  Browning.  The  man  contended  that 
his  interpretation  must  be  correct,  since  he  was  on  terms 
of  intimacy  with  the  poet,  and  understood  his  spirit  and 
motive.  This  the  woman  was  at  length  willing  to  admit, 
but  when  the  man  reproached  her  with  the  childishness 
of  her  faith  in  the  teachings  of  Christianity,  she  retorted : 
"You  must  remember  that  I  know  the  Author  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  can  therefore  understand  His 
teachings  as  no  stranger  can."  It  does  not  tax  one's  in- 
telligence therefore  to  accept  the  statement  of  Jesus  that 
no  man  can  understand  the  kingdom  of  God  until  by 
some  spiritual  transformation  he  has  come  into  harmony 
with  the  inner  life  of  that  kingdom.  "Ye  must  be  born 
again,"  is  the  most  logical  thing  Jesus  could  have  told 
Nicodemus,  if  the  ruler  of  the  Jews  was  sincere  in  his 
purpose  to  ally  himself  with  the  kingdom  of  God. 

"How  can  a  man  be  born  again?  You  certainly  can 
not  mean  a  second  natural  birth ;  that  is  plainly  an  ab- 
surdity," exclaims  Nicodemus.  "Nevertheless,"  responds 
Jesus,  "I  mean  precisely  what  I  say ;  except  a  man  be 
born  of  water,  and  of  the  spirit,  he  can  not  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is 
flesh ;  that  which  is  born  of  the  spirit  is  spirit.  Until  the 
fleshly  life  has  been  by  Divine  power  transformed  into  a 
spiritual  life  there  can  be  no  entrance  into  the  kingdom." 
Nicodemus  need  not  to  have  been  unduly  astonished  at 
this  reference  to  water  and  the  spirit.  He  was  fairly 
familiar  with  the  baptism  of  John.  He  knew  that  the 
sacred  rite  performed  by  the  prophet  of  the  Jordan  was 
a  symbol  of  repentance,  without  which  act  of  turning 
away  from  sin  there  could  be  no  acceptance  with  God. 
No  ultra-Protestants  could  believe  that  the  touching  of 


102      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

our  persons  with  water,  accompanied  by  some  verbal 
formula,  would  be  effective  in  re-creating  our  moral  na- 
tures ;  but  we  can  easily  credit  a  statement,  that  without 
the  penitence  which  is  assumed  to  attend  the  act  of  bap- 
tism, there  could  be  no  regeneration  of  life ;  and,  that  the 
vital  touch  of  the  Divine  Spirit  is  essential  to  the  quick- 
ening of  new  impulses,  the  creating  of  new  aspirations, 
and  the  producing  of  a  changed  life,  is  a  proposition 
which  we  can  receive  without  the  slightest  hesitation, 
and  which  Nicodemus  ought  to  have  apprehended  with- 
out difficulty. 

We  know  that  our  trend  is  not  uniformly  toward 
God.  Frequently  our  fleshly  nature  swings  us  in  the 
direction  of  evil,  and  we  find  it  more  congenial  to  our 
tastes  to  yield  to  temptation  than  to  resist  the  suggestion 
of  the  lower  life,  until  we  have  been  regenerated  by 
Divine  grace,  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  filled 
with  power  of  God.  It  is  this  transformed  life  which 
constitutes  the  ability  to  perceive,  and  the  privilege  to 
enter,  the  kingdom  of  God.  The  old  self  must  be  aban- 
doned, the  old  sins  obliterated,  the  old  man  crucified, 
the  old  nature  cleansed.  Then  the  kingdom  will  pos- 
sess us. 

A  frightfully  wicked  woman  working  in  one  of  the 
great  paper  mills  of  Glasgow  was  converted  through  the 
efforts  of  a  city  missionary,  and  became  a  person  of  great 
devoutness  of  character.  She  described  the  process  of 
her  salvation  in  these  terms:  "I  was  like  the  rags  that 
go  into  the  paper  mill.  They  are  torn  and  filthy,  but 
they  come  out  clear,  white  paper.  That  is  like  what  Jesus 
is  doing  for  me."  That  is,  indeed,  the  work  which  the 
great  Redeemer  is  doing  for  millions  of  our  race.  That 
is  the  method  by  which  the  kingdom  of  God  is  being 
made  triumphant  in  the  earth. 


IX. 
FINAL  TESTIMONY  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

CHAPTER  III.  22-36. 

These  brief  sentences  ...  as  inexhaustible  in  thought 
as  they  are  inartificial  in  language. — Muclaren. 

Work  in  Judea. 

Repelled  by  the  authorities  in  the  Temple,  finding  little 
promise  in  the  city,  Jesus  withdraws  to  the  rural 
part  of  Judea,  and  tarries  awhile  with  His  disciples 
before  retreating  into  Galilee.  Under  such  circum- 
stances occurs  the  final  and  self-effacing  testimony 
of  John  the  Baptist. 

I.  The  Occasion  of  the  Testimony  (22-26). 

(i)  Apparent  Competition  of  Jesus  and  John  the  Bap- 
tist (23,  24).  The  disciples  of  Jesus  were  baptiz- 
ing, not  the  Master  (iv,  2),  He  was  baptizing 
through  His  disciples.  Meanwhile  John  continues 
his  own  work.  He  had  noticed  that  Jesus  had  not 
proceeded  to  assert  His  Messianic  authority,  and 
therefore  felt  that  his  own  mission  was  not  yet  com- 
pleted. Hence  he  went  on  baptizing  unto  repent- 
ance. Probably  the  two  companies  were  not  far 
apart.  The  location  of  ^non  has  not  been  per- 
fectly identified.  "Jo^*"  was  not  yet  cast  into  prison," 
is  a  sidelight  on  the  accounts  of  the  other  evan- 
gelists. 

(2)   The  Discussion  which  Arose   (25,  26).     With  "a 
Jew"  instead  of  "the  Jews,"  probably,  as  some  read- 
ings have  it.    The  dispute  may  have  been  with  re- 
103 


104      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

gard  to  the  value  of  John's  baptism  as  compared 
with  that  of  Christ,  touching  the  matter  of  cere- 
monial purification. 

(3)  Appeal  to  John  the  Baptist.  John's  disciples  make 
him  referee  in  the  case.  The  irritating  fact  is  that 
He  whom  John  baptized  is  outdoing  their  master. 
Has  greater  crowds,  though  John  gave  Him  His 
vantage  by  introducing  Him  originally.  Is  not  th;^ 
an  invasion  of  John's  rights  ? 

2.  The  Testimony  Delivered  (27-36). 

John's  testimony  now  differs  from  that  originally  given. 
Heretofore  he  has  simply  appealed  to  his  hearers 
to  exercise  faith  in  Christ.  Now  he  protests  against 
the  indifference,  misunderstanding  and  hostility  of 
the  Jews.  His  testimony  in  this  instance  seems  to 
divide  into  two  parts:  (i)  About  himself,  "the  friend 
of  the  Bridegroom."  (2)  About  Christ,  "the  Bride- 
groom." This  is  not  the  view  of  some  scholars, 
however,  who  think  that  the  speech  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist closes  with  verse  30,  and  that  the  remainder  of  the 
passage  is  the  comment  of  John  the  Evangelist.  If 
there  were  such  a  separation,  one  would  suppose  that 
John  would  have  indicated  it  in  some  way.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  latter  section  may  be  colored  with  the 
tints  of  the  writer's  mind.  What  is  not  the  exact 
verbiage  of  John  the  Baptist  is  a  faithful  paraphrase 
of  John  the  Evangelist. 

I.  TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  HIMSELF  (27-30). 

1.  General  Principle  of  Revelation  (27).     A  man  has 

only  such  authority  as  comes  to  him  from  God.  I 
can  not  increase  my  prerogatives  beyond  the  divine 
bestowal.  Jesus  assumes  no  position  which  is  not 
rightfully  His  by  the  ordination  of  God. 

2.  Application  of  This  Principle  to  Himself  (28,  29). 

He  reminds  His  disciples  that  He  has  never  claimed 
any  higher  place  than  that  of  subordination  to  Christ. 


FINAL  TESTIMONY.  105 

Despite  their  indignation  this  must  always  be  kept 
in  mind.  His  mission  was  purely  provisional.  An 
illustration  is  employed  to  define  his  meaning.  He 
is  "the  friend  of  the  Bridegroom."  In  the  Old 
Testament  "the  Bridegroom"  symbolizes  the  rela- 
tionship between  Jehovah  and  the  chosen  people. 
(Isa.  liv,  5;  Hos.  ii,  19,  20.)  In  the  New  Testa- 
ment it  symbolizes  the  relationship  between  Christ 
and  His  Church.  (Eph.  v,  32;  Rev.  xix,  7;  xxi, 
2,  9.  Compare  Matt,  ix,  15;  xxv,  i.)  Here  "the 
friend  of  the  Bridegroom"  means  the  confidential 
intimate  friend  designated  to  arrange  the  espousals 
and  to  preside  at  the  feast. 

3.  His  Mission  Closed  (30).  The  forerunner  must  de- 
crease, the  heralded  Messiah  must  increase.  "No 
one  could  have  invented  this  admirable  saying,  a 
permanent  motto  of  every  true  servant  of  Christ." 
(Godet.)  With  the  conclusion  of  his  work  the  old 
dispensation  came  to  an  end. 

II.  TESTIMONY  CONCERNING  CHRIST. 

As  the  words,  "I  must  decrease,"  have  been  developed  in 
what  precedes,  the  words,  "He  must  increase,"  are 
developed  in  what  follows. 

1.  The  primacy  of  Jesus  (31).    A  favorite  theme  with 

the  Baptist.  He  contrasts  Jesus  with  himself.  He 
is  of  the  earth,  and  his  message  is  given  from  that 
point  of  view ;  Jesus  is  from  heaven,  and  speaks  by 
immediate  knowledge  of  eternal  things. 

2.  The  Perfection  of  His  Teaching  (32,  33).    He  has 

existed  from  eternity.  He  testifies  directly.  To 
those  who  refuse  Him  He  is  of  no  consequence,  but 
to  those  who  receive  Him  He  becomes  the  concrete 
evidence  that  God  is  true.  "No  man"  and  "all  men" 
are  hyperbolical.  Christ's  teachings  are  absolutely 
perfect,  and  those  who  receive  His  testimony  will 
find  this  is  so. 


106      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

3.  The  Fullness  of  His  Endowment  (34,  35).    Sent  of 

God,  He  speaks  the  words  of  God  (34).  He  has  re- 
ceived the  Spirit  without  limit.  "In  Him  dwelleth 
all  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily."  (Col.  ii,  9.) 
All  things  are  under  His  control.  His  authority  is 
complete. 

4.  Consequences  of  Belief  and  Unbelief  (36).     Faith 

brings  eternal  life ;  unbelief  brings  wrath.  "Eternal 
life"  better  than  "everlasting  Hfe."  The  wrath  of 
God  is  more  natural  to  John  the  Baptist  than  to 
John  the  Evangelist,  who  never  uses  the  phrase. 
John  the  Baptist  is  the  nexus  between  the  old  and 
the  new  dispensation.  Wrath  is  the  complement  of 
love.  God  could  not  be  a  good  lover  without  being 
a  good  hater. 

Facts  Concerning  the  Baptist  not  in  this  Gospel. 

His  birth  and  parentage  (Luke  i,  5-25,  57-80)  ;  Certain 
matter  in  his  preaching  (Matt,  iii,  1-12;  Mark  i,  4-8; 
Luke  iii,  1-18)  ;  His  baptism  of  Jesus  (Matt,  iii, 
13-17;  Mark  i,  9-1 1  ;  Luke  iii,  21,  22)  ;  His  embassy 
to  Christ  to  inquire  if  He  is  the  real  Messiah  ( Matt, 
xi,  2-6;  Luke  vii,  19-23)  ;  His  conflict  with  Herod 
and  Herodias,  imprisonment  and  death  (Matt,  iv, 
12;  Mark  i,  14;  Luke  iii,  19,  20;  Matt,  xiv,  1-12; 
Mark  vi,  14-29)  ;  Christ's  testimony  to  the  greatness 
of  John  (Matt,  xi,  7-19;  xvii,  12,  13;  Mark  ix, 
11-13;  Luke  vii,  24-35). 


Hymn  No.  336. 

My  gracious  Lord,  I  own  Thy  right 

To  every  service  I  can  pay, 
And  call  it  my  supreme  delight 

To  hear  Thy  dictates  and  obey. 

— Philip  Doddridge. 

Personal  Questions: 

1.  Has  self  been  entirely  subordinated  to  Christ? 

2.  Can  I  yield  to  the  supremacy  of  another  with  the 
grace  of  John  the  Baptist  ? 


FINAL  TESTIMONY.  107 

The  Motive  Heroic. 

"He  must  increase,  hut  I  must  decrease." 

— John  iii,  30. 

/  "Show  me  a  man's  cradle,  and  I  will  show  you  his 
'destiny/'  said  an  eminent  clergyman  after  spending  a 
day  at  the  Tombs  Police  Court  in  New  York.  So  large 
a  proportion  of  the  criminality  there  unveiled  had  its 
undoubted  origin  in  unhallowed  homes,  that  he  felt  him- 
self justified  in  making  this  sweeping  generalization. 
There  is  much  reason  in  it,  yet  it  is  too  fatalistic  by  half. 
It  assigns  a  disproportionate  place  to  those  factors  which 
are  so  greatly  overworked  in  our  modern  social  theory — 
heredity  and  environment.  It  ignores  the  power  of  self- 
determination,  which  is  man's  noblest  endowment.  It 
is  contradicted  by  numerous  biographies.  So  many  per- 
sons have  risen  from  obscurity  to  prominence,  from 
squalor  to  affluence,  from  baseness  to  nobility,  that  it  is 
unsafe  to  make  the  circumstances  of  birth  the  prophecy 
of  any  career. 

Thomas  Fuller  observed  that  in  the  genealogical  table 
of  Jesus  these  facts  appear :  Rehoboam  begat  Abija,  that 
is,  a  bad  father  had  a  bad  son ;  Abija  begat  Asa,  that  is, 
a  bad  father  had  a  good  son ;  Asa  begat  Jehoshaphat,  that 
is,  a  good  father  had  a  good  son ;  Jehoshaphat  begat 
Jehoram,  that  is,  a  good  father  had  a  bad  son.  On  this 
he  remarks:  "I  see.  Lord,  from  hence,  that  my  father's 
piety  can  not  be  entailed — that  is  bad  news  for  me.  But 
I  see  also  that  actual  impiety  is  not  always  hereditary — 
that  is  good  news  for  my  son." 

There  is  a  less  hazardous  way  of  predicting  destiny 
than  to  look  into  a  cradle.  Ascertain  a  man's  dominant 
motive,  after  he  has  put  aside  the  garments  of  childhood, 
and  has  begun  to  think  and  act  for  himself ;  discover  the 
regulative  principle  of  his  conduct,  and  you  will  be  able 
to  make  an  almost  infallible  estimate  of  his  future.  John 
the  Baptist  had  the  great  fortune  to  be  born  in  a  godly 
home.  Of  his  father  and  mother  it  is  written  that  "they 
were  both  righteous  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  com- 


108      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

mandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless." 
Trained  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  sum- 
moned by  the  Spirit  to  a  high  task,  John  the  Baptist 
began  life  with  large  advantages.  It  is  not  inconceivable, 
however,  that  he  might  have  neutralized  these  by  throw- 
ing off  the  holy  influences  of  his  home  and  by  refusing 
the  commission  of  God.  Thousands  of  men  have  sold 
their  birthright  and  stifled  the  voice  of  duty.  Many  who 
were  born  to  the  purple  have  exchanged  it  for  rags. 
They  have  defied  the  obligations  of  heredity  and  environ- 
ment, and  wasted  their  substance  in  riotous  living.  John 
the  Baptist  yielded  to  the  pressure  of  a  Divine  call, 
availed  himself  of  his  rich  inheritance,  and  chose  for  his 
controlling  purpose  in  life  the  exaltation  of  Christ,  and 
the  consequent  effacement  of  self.  The  dominant  prin- 
ciple of  his  conduct  is  phrased  in  the  noble  words,  "He 
must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease."  This  lofty  senti- 
ment explains  the  man's  whole  career. 


The  names  of  two  great  Englishmen  rise  in  the  mem- 
ory as  one  reflects  upon  the  close  relation  between  a 
man's  self-appointed  purpose  and  the  output  of  his  char- 
acter. Benjamin  Disraeli,  Earl  of  Beaconsfield,  for  fifty 
years  filled  a  very  conspicuous  place  in  the  world  of  let- 
ters and  politics.  He  was  the  recipient  of  the  most 
distinguished  honors  in  the  gift  of  his  countrymen  and 
his  sovereign ;  and  these  emoluments  it  may  be  granted 
he  fairly  earned.  His  motto  was,  "Forti  nihil  difficile," 
and  right  valiantly  did  he  prove  by  his  own  achievements 
that  "nothing  is  hard  for  the  brave."  He  inscribed  this 
legend  on  his  banners  when  he  entered  the  arena  of  po- 
litical strife,  and  embodied  it  in  his  performances 
throughout  his  eventful  life.  The  flavor  of  heroism 
which  it  contains  rouses  the  blood  and  quickens  the 
pulses  of  sensitive  youth.  Five  times  Disraeli  offered 
himself  unsuccessfully  for  Parliament,  but  finally  won 
the  prize  which  his  proud  spirit  coveted.  Sneered  at  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  and  laughed  to  silence  in  his 
earliest  attempts  to  address  that  body,  he  persisted  in 


FINAL  TESTIMONY.  109 

thrusting  himself  to  the  fore,  until  his  famous  proph- 
ecy— "The  time  is  coming  when  you  will  hear  me" — had 
ample  fulfillment,  and  he  was  able  to  dictate  terms  to 
his  adversaries.  There  is  a  brilliancy  and  dash  in  such 
a  career  which  captivates  the  imagination  and  commands 
applause.  But  a  deeper  scrutiny  of  his  life  discloses  the 
fact  that,  while  Disraeli  was  brave,  he  was  also  selfish. 
The  end  to  be  served  in  every  project  was  personal  ag- 
grandizement. He  was  as  ambitious  as  Bonaparte, 
though  in  a  somewhat  different  field.  He  was  a  diplomat 
in  the  less  honorable  sense  of  the  term.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  his  public  career  he  shifted  his  policy  and  altered 
his  political  creed  as  often  as  he  could  thereby  serve  his 
own  interests.  He  carefully  planned  and  cruelly  exe- 
cuted vengeance  upon  those  who  had  opposed  him,  and 
when  he  died  there  were  many  to  eulogize  him  for  his 
greatness,  but  few  to  mourn  him  as  a  friend. 

Just  as  Disraeli  was  rising  into  prominence  another 
great  Englishman  was  taking  his  departure  to  the  in- 
visible world.  He  also  wrought  in  literature  and  dealt 
with  problems  of  international  importance,  but  in  what 
a  different  spirit,  and  for  what  nobler  results !  William 
Carey,  brooding  over  the  map  of  the  world,  as  he  pur- 
sued his  humble  work  in  a  cobbler's  shop,  and  pondering 
the  condition  of  the  heathen  millions,  felt  the  impulse 
of  a  sublime  aijnbition.  His  motto  was,  "Attempt  great 
things  for  God ;  expect  great  things  from  God."  Was 
Disraeli  persistent?  Carey  surpassed  him  in  the  assiduity 
with  which  he  persecuted  his  task.  In  the  face  of  eccle- 
siastical censure,  despite  the  protests  of  British  conserva- 
tism and  the  ridicule  of  almost  the  whole  people,  he 
pushed  on  over  land  and  sea  until  he  stood  upon  the 
burning  shores  of  India,  and  began  his  labors  for  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  enlightenment  of  her  pagan 
populations.  Without  money  or  influence,  compelled  to 
earn  his  daily  bread  by  manual  toil,  working  seven  years 
before  he  gained  a  single  convert,  he  never  surrendered 
to  depression  of  spirit.  Success  finally  crowned  his  un- 
remitting efforts.  Preaching,  teaching,  and  translating, 
he  touched  Oriental  life  at  every  point.     He  was  instru- 


no     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

mental  in  putting  the  Scriptures  into  forty  different  ver- 
naculars, and  thus  rendered  the  Bible  accessible  to  three 
hundred  millions  of  human  beings  in  his  day,  Disraeli 
affected  the  literature  of  one  period  and  of  one  language. 
Carey  impressed  the  literature  of  many  peoples  and  of 
all  subsequent  time.  Disraeli  adjusted  temporal  questions 
for  England  and  the  Continent.  Carey  entered  into  spir- 
itual relations  with  the  whole  East  and  in  the  interest 
of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Disraeli's  motto  made  him  an 
imposing  figure  in  the  sight  of  men.  Carey's  motto  made 
him  a  person  of  distinction  in  the  judgment  of  God. 

i  Sir  Walter  Scott  said:  "There  never  did,  and  there 
j  never  will,  exist  anything  permanently  noble  and  excel- 
lent in  character  which  is  a  stranger  to  the  exercise  of 
resolute  self-denial.  Teach  self-denial,  and  make  its  prac- 
tice pleasurable,  and  you  create  for  the  world  a  destiny 
more  sublime  than  ever  issued  from  the  brain  of  the  wild- 
est dreamer."  The  qualities  which  were  developed  in 
John  the  Baptist  by  the  discipline  of  self-devotion  con- 
firm the  wisdom  and  truth  of  this  utterance.  The  single 
purpose,  from  which  no  allurements  could  tempt  him, 
but  the  execution  of  which  involved  immense  sacrifice, 
imparted  to  him  a  certain  robustness  of  character  impos- 
sible of  attainment  by  ease-loving  men.  He  was  no 
lily-fingered  prophet,  coddled  in  luxury  and  schooled  in 
conventional  felicities  of  speech  and  conduct.  Absorbed 
by  one  great  passion,  he  had  no  time  nor  disposition  for 
politic  address,  or  studied  action.  He  did  not  indulge 
in  equivocal  generalities,  but  spoke  stalwart  truth  in  tones 
vibrant  with  emotion.  His  lance  was  swift  and  sharp, 
and  pierced  the  shield  of  pride  and  selfishness  with  no 
uncertain  aim.  What  a  strange  figure  he  made,  with  his 
garment  of  camel's  hair  thrown  athwart  his  lean  body, 
and  a  leathern  belt  girdling  his  loins !  But  what  power 
issued  from  that  rugged  frame,  nourished  by  locusts  and 
wild  honey,  and  breathed  upon  by  the  Spirit  of  God ! 
"What  went  ye  out  into  wilderness  to  see?"  asks  Christ. 
"A  reed  shaken  with  the  wind?  ...  A  man  clothed  in 


FINAL  TESTIMONY.  Ill 

soft  raiment?  ...  A  prophet?     Yea,   I   say  unto  you 

more  than  a  prophet,  .  .  .  Among  them  that  are  born 

of  women  there  hath  not  risen  a  greater  than  John  the 

Baptist."    To  men  of  his  ilk  the  world  owes  its  deepest 

debt.     Not  the  men  who  are  swept  by  the  currents  of 

popular  feeling,  but  the  men  who  turn  those  currents 

into  untried  channels ;  not  those  who  are  produced  by 

the  spirit  of  the  times,  but  those  who  inform  the  age 

I  with  a  new  spirit ;  not  the  creatures,  but  the  creators 

I  of  public  sentiment;  the  shaggy-raimented  Elijahs,  the 

I  burly  Luthers,  the  rough-shod  Cromwells,  who  beneath 

i   an  uncouth  exterior  hide  a  star-like  soul. 

What  courage  this  man  exhibited !    His  was  the  brav- 
ery which  is  born  only  of  profound  convictions  and  total 
self-abnegation.     He  hurls  the  truth  at  the  vast  assem- 
blies which  attend  his  ministry  with  such  terrific  impact 
that  soldiers  and  tax-gatherers  and  the  populace  gener- 
ally cry  out,  "What  shall  we  do  then?"    And  to  each  he 
has  not  only  the  general  exhortation,  "Bring  forth  fruits 
meet  for  repentance,"  but  also  some  specific  injunction 
which  strikes  directly  upon  the  sin  peculiar  to  the  class 
begging  for  advice.     Pharisees  and  Sadducees  alike  fall 
under  his  reprobation.     Though  he  courts  death  by  his 
words,  he  does  not  hesitate  to  denounce  the  shameless 
i Herod  to  his  face,  exclaiming,  "It  is  not  lawful  for  thee 
f  to  have  another  man's  wife."    He  reminds  one  of  Chrys- 
'  ostom,   saying,   when   Eudoxia   the   empress   threatened 
him,  "Go  tell  her  I  fear  nothing  but  sin ;"  of  Basil  say- 
ing, when  Valerius  declared  he  would  put  him  to  death, 
"Let  him  do  so.    I  shall  only  get  to  heaven  the  sooner ;" 
of  the  Prince  of  Conde  saying,  when  the  French  king 
I    commanded  him  to  go  to  mass  or  he  would  suffer  ban- 
'    ishment  or  death,  "As  to  the  first  of  these,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  I  never  will.    As  to  the  other  two,  I  leave  the 
choice  to  your  majesty." 


There  is  nothing  surprising  in  the  popularity  of  a 
man  who  preaches  with  the  blood-earnestness  which  char- 
acterized the  discourses  of  John  the  Baptist.    The  multi- 


112      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

tudes  are  always  eager  to  hear  a  prophet  who  pours  forth 
the  truth  from  flaming  Hps,     But  John's  attractiveness 

I  was  extraordinary.     Chrysostom  thundered  his  eloquent 

■  periods  to  audiences  which  crowded  the  church  of  St. 
Sophia  to  suffocation.  Bourdaloue  drew  such  throngs 
to  his  preaching  that  trade  was  interrupted  in  the  streets 

'  of  Paris  adjacent  to  the  place  where  he  delivered  his 
sermons.  Wesley  and  Whitefield  preached  to  thousands 
I  of  colliers  and  servant  girls  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. Men  of  unusual  parts  speak  to  vast  congregations 
in  our  time.  But  John  the  Baptist  seems  to  have  ex- 
ceeded in  popularity  the  most  gifted  orators.     Proclaim- 

I  ing  his  message  along  the  lonely  tract  of  the  Jordan, 
he  drew  his  auditors  in  great  masses  from  the  city  to  the 
wilderness.  They  abandoned  the  marts  of  trade,  the 
haunts  of  pleasure,  and  the  fellowships  of  home  to  hang 
eagerly  upon  his  words.  Yet  he  suffered  no  man  to  for- 
get that  the  preacher  was  but  the  herald  of  a  greater  per- 
sonage. He  claimed  for  himself  no  higher  distinction 
than  this:  "I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness, Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord."  Mark  Antony 
urged  in  Caesar's  behalf  that  thrice  he  had  refused  a 
kingly  crown.  With  deeper  and  more  sincere  humility 
John  rejected  the  suggestion  that  he  acknowledge  him- 
self a  person  of  consequence,  and  continued  to  say, 
"After  me  cometh  a  man  who  is  preferred  before  me, 
the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose." 
When  he  had  once  been  assured  that  Jesus  was  the  ex- 
pected Messiah,  he  turned  the  attention  of  his  own  per- 
sonal followers  to  the  Master,  and  cried,  "Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world!" 


A  Russian  woman  of  much  intelligence  remarked  to 
an  American  statesman  who  was  visiting  the  domain  of 
the  Czar:  "It  is  said,  you  know,  that  Tolstoi  is  jealous 
of  Christ.  It  will  end  in  his  trymg  to  establish  a  religion 
of  his  own."  The  characterization  may  have  been  unjust, 
but  it  illustrates  a  kind  of  intellectual  and  spiritual  pride 
which  prevails  among  certain  men  of  large  influence  in 


FINAL  TESTIMONY.  113 

society.  The  real  magnitude  of  John's  character,  the  full 
measure  of  his  self-abnegation,  are  shown  by  the  spirit 
with  which  he  met  the  complaint  of  his  disciples.  "Rabbi, 
He  that  was  with  thee  beyond  the  Jordan,  to  whom  thou 
barest  witness,  behold,  the  same  baptizeth,  and  all  men 
come  to  Him !"  Such  was  the  pinched  and  shriveled 
conception  of  John's  mission  in  the  minds  of  his  narrow 
partisans,  that  they  were  offended  at  what  they  fancied 
was  an  usurpation  of  his  rights  by  a  competitor.  But 
with  wondrous  fidelity  their  master  tells  them  that  his 
joy  is  fulfilled,  as  his  function  is  performed,  by  bringing 
the  Bride  and  the  Bridegroom  together.  He  is  but  the 
friend  of  the  Bridegroom.  "He  must  increase,  but  I  must 
decrease."  It  is  a  voluntary  obscuration  of  self.  And 
he  has  great  joy  in  the  eclipse. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  life  Bismarck  said  to  a  friend : 
"I  feel  tired,  but  I  am  not  sick.  My  complaint  is  un- 
easiness of  life,  in  which  I  have  no  longer  any  object." 
The  loss  of  his  wife,  the  engrossment  of  his  sons  in  their 
own  pursuits,  and  especially  his  involuntary  retirement 
from  political  leadership,  conspired  to  render  the  life  of 
the  "man  of  blood  and  iron"  aimless  and  empty.  Sir 
William  Napier,  remembering  the  anniversary  of  the 
battle  of  Seville,  where  he  won  great  honors  for  his  valor, 
spoke  ruefully  of  the  decline  which  his  vital  energy  had 
suffered,  saying:  "Now  I  am  old,  feeble,  bent,  miserable. 
...  I  can  not  read  with  pleasure,  still  less  can  I  think 
or  judge."  To  be  taken  out  of  the  stress  of  worldly  ac- 
tivity, to  find  one's  occupation  gone,  to  see  one's  self  sup- 
planted in  a  congenial  field,  and  bear  the  experience  with 
equanimity,  is  what  the  fewest  men  are  capable  of  doing. 
But  John  the  Baptist,  far  from  feeling  any  despondency 
as  he  passes  into  obscurity,  observes  the  sun  blotting  out 
the  morning  star  at  the  dawn  of  day  with  an  exultant 
spirit,  and  cries,  "He  must  increase,  but  1  must  decrease." 

Truly  this  is  the  divine  way  of  the  Christian.  What 
is  his  mission?  To  be  good,  and  therefore  to  be  happy? 
Nay,  to  be  holy,  and  therefore  self-effacing,  that  Christ 


114      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

may  be  manifest.  That  was  the  joy  of  Paul.  "Christ 
shall  be  magnified  in  my  body,  whether  it  be  by  life, 
or  by  death."  The  summit  of  Christian  excellence  is 
attained  by  that  method  only.  The  consecrated  soul  cries 
with  Theodore  Monod : 

"Higher  than  the  highest  heaven, 
Deeper  than  the  deepest  sea, 
Lord,  Thy  love  at  last  hath  conquered ; 
Grant  me  now  my  supplication — 
None  of  self,  and  all  of  Thee." 

Charles  Kingsley  asked  a  young  preacher  who  was  to 
occupy  his  pulpit  at  Eversley  to  allow  him  to  read  two 
or  three  of  his  sermons  in  manuscript.  When  he  had 
finished,  he  chose  one  by  no  means  the  best  written,  but 
containing  an  honest  presentation  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
said :  "Preach  that.  There  is  a  poor  soul  who  will  be  in 
church,  whose  sins  it  may  touch,  and  whose  sorrows  it 
may  heal.  God  help  us  all !"  The  needs  of  humanity 
are  so  acute,  and  the  seriousness  of  attending  to  them  is 
so  great,  and  the  time  for  our  ministry  is  so  short,  that 
it  is  not  worth  while  to  display  our  little  selves.  Let 
the  Christ  be  magnified.  "He  must  increase,  but  I  must 
decrease." 


X. 

INTERVIEW  WITH  THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN ;  ITS 
RESULTS. 

CHAPTER  IV.  1-42. 

The  Gospel  of  John  may  be  called  the  Gospel  of  the 
Conversations,  for  more  than  any  other  it  reports  particu- 
lar interviews  of  our  Lord  with  mdividuals.  —  Vose. 

Work  in  Samaria. 

This  narrative  affords  a  fine  illustration  of  John's 
method  of  putting  similar  events  with  different  character- 
istics over  against  one  another  in  sharp  contrast.  In  the 
preceding  chapter  we  have  the  interview  with  Nicodemus, 
which  bears  some  similarity  to  the  interview  recorded  in 
this  chapter,  and  yet  which  is  strikingly  different  in  cer- 
tain respects.  There  is  the  same  seizure  of  the  immedi- 
ate circumstances  to  form  a  basis  of  teaching — the  wind 
in  one  instance,  the  water  in  the  other,  providing  a  par- 
able through  which  the  profounder  truth  can  be  sug- 
gested. But  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  the  char- 
acters of  the  chief  persons  in  these  two  interviews  and 
the  conditions  under  which  the  conversations  occur.  The 
woman,  a  Samaritan,  a  sinner,  is  placed  in  contrast  with 
the  rabbi,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews,  a  Pharisee. 

The  characteristics  of  Jesus  as  a  conversationalist 
are  well  brought  out  in  this  narrative.  It  was  a  genuine 
conversation  and  not  a  monologue.  In  His  public  ad- 
dresses Jesus  gave  ample  opportunity  for  questions  and 
answers.  He  was  often  interrupted  by  inquiries.  Occa- 
sionally these  betrayed  an  insolent  spirit  on  the  part  of 
the  interlocutors,  but  Jesus  never  showed  irritation. 
Sometimes  in  the  smaller  circles  He  appeared  to  be  tak- 

115 


116      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

ing  the  inferior  place,  but  it  will  be  noted  that  in  such 
instances  He  really  guided  the  conversation  without  seem- 
ing to  do  so.  He  was  a  good  listener,  which  is  the  first 
mark  of  a  good  conversationalist,  and  He  heard  with 
such  intelligence  that  His  responses,  as  sometimes  plainly 
asserted,  were  addressed  to  the  secret  thoughts  of  men 
rather  than  to  their  spoken  words.  This  narrative  nat- 
urally divides  into  three  sections,  as  follows:  i.  The  con- 
versation with  the  Samaritan  woman  (1-26).  2.  The 
conversation  with  the  puzzled  disciples  (27-38).  3.  The 
confession  of  the  Samaritans  (39-42). 

I.  JESUS  AND  THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN  (1-26). 

I.  Introduction  (1-4)-  First  phase  of  Christ's  public 
ministry  ended.  The  results  are,  unbelief  on  the 
part  of  many,  belief  on  the  part  of  a  few,  public 
interest  created,  a  general  feeling  of  uneasiness  in 
the  hearts  of  the  authorities.  The  Pharisees,  having 
heard  of  His  w^ork,  were  more  alarmed  by  it  than  by 
the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  They  could  under- 
stand John  better,  for  he  took  his  position  on  the 
law,  performed  no  miracles,  and  disclaimed  being 
the  Messiah.  Jesus,  on  the  other  hand,  claimed  Mes- 
sianic authority,  and  had  little  regard  for  tradition. 
His  work,  while  only  partially  successful,  was  at 
least  too  well  known  to  be  disregarded.  To  avoid  a 
premature  clash  with  the  jealous  guardians  of  the 
old  religion  Jesus  transferred  His  ministry  to  that 
portion  of  the  country  Avhere  the  Sanhedrin  exer- 
cised a  less  severe  authority,  and  where  the  number 
of  Gentile  residents  created  a  more  liberal  sentiment. 
The  quickest  way  to  Galilee  was  through  Samaria. 
The  most  prejudiced  Jews  went  around  Samaria 
through  Perea,  thus  crossing  the  Jordan  twice. 
There  was  no  occasion  for  Jesus  to  do  this,  for  He 
did  not  share  the  bigotry  of  His  people.  On  the  way 
to  Galilee  He  meets  this  Samaritan  woman.  Did  not 
go  through  Samaria  for  the  purpose  of  meetmg  this 
woman,  but  having  met  her  used  His  opportunity 
most  wonderfully. 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  117 

Conversation  with  the  Woman  (5-26).  Jesus, 
wearied  and  thirsty,  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  well 
at  noonday,  Hke  any  worn  traveler,  is  a  picture  in 
harmony  with  John's  habit  of  presenting  the  idea 
of  Christ's  complete  humanity  whenever  opportunity 
arises.  Compare  "I  thirst"  (xix,  28).  When  Jesus 
asks  an  approaching  Samaritan  woman  for  a  drink 
she  is  astonished  in  two  particulars :  first,  that  He 
should  ask  a  woman ;  and  second,  that  He  should  ask 
a  Samaritan.  As  a  woman  she  was  lightly  regarded 
by  the  leaders  of  sentiment.  Moreover,  she  was 
poor  and  of  unsavory  reputation.  Above  all,  she 
was  a  Samaritan.  Thus  prejudice  against  sex,  na- 
tion, and  character  were  all  broken  down  by  Christ's 
first  ministry  outside  the  bounds  of  His  own  terri- 
tory. In  her  response  to  His  request  the  woman 
rallies  Jesus  for  His  unconventional  friendliness  to 
a  Samaritan  woman.  She  thought  He  must  be  in 
sore  distress  if  He  could  humiliate  Himself  enough 
to  ask  a  drink  of  her.  Study  the  origin  and  char- 
acteristics of  the  hostility  between  the  Jews  and 
Samaritans,  which  endures  down  to  the  present  time. 
Jesus  now  turns  the  woman's  challenge  against 
her,  and  says,  "If  you  knew,"  etc.  (10).  What  did 
Christ  mean  by  living  water?  The  surprise  of  the 
woman,  who  still  fancies  that  Jesus  refers  to  natural 
water.  Is  He  greater  than  Jacob?  Where  is  the 
well?  With  what  will  He  draw  water?  Jesus  pro- 
claims the  superiority  of  the  water  He  will  give  in 
several  particulars :  It  is  a  springing  fountain,  it  is 
within  the  soul,  it  is  eternal,  it  is  satisfying  (14). 
The  unsatisfied  sinner,  perceiving  that  Jesus  speaks 
of  something  she  does  not  have,  asks  Him  for  help. 
But  He  probes  a  little  deeper  for  her  conscience, 
and  in  the  words,  "Go,  call  thy  husband !"  uncovers 
the  woman's  life  to  her  own  startled  gaze  (17,  18). 
Convinced  that  He  is  a  prophet,  she  questions  Him 
about  worship  (19,  20).  Jesus  then  shifts  her  whole 
point  of  view  (20-24),  showing  her  that  worship 
must  be  spiritual,  and  not  merely  ceremonial,  and 


118      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

that  some  day  Jews  and  Samaritans  alike  will  realize 
this.  The  woman  acknowledges  that  when  the  Mes- 
siah has  come  everything  will  be  made  plain,  and 
Jesus  at  once  announces  that  He  is  the  expected  One 
(25,26). 

3.  Jesus  as  a  Teacher.     In  all  this  conversation  Jesus 

exhibits  His  wonderful  teaching  qualities,  and  pre- 
sents a  pattern  for  all  who  attempt  to  inculcate  truth 
in  other  minds.  Observe  ( i )  He  deals  as  thoroughly 
with  one  person  as  with  many,  and  discloses  as  im- 
portant truth  to  a  single  listener  as  to  a  large  con- 
gregation; (2)  His  teaching  is  distinctly  personal. 
Everything  turns  upon  the  needs  of  this  particular 
soul;  (3)  His  approach  is  very  adroit.  He  throws 
Himself  upon  the  sympathy  of  the  woman  and  gains 
her  interest  at  once;  (4)  He  proceeds  from  the  con- 
sideration of  a  common  physical  necessity  to  a  spir- 
itual requirement;  (5)  He  drives  the  woman  back 
upon  her  conscience  at  a  critical  moment  in  the  con- 
versation; (6)  He  moves  up  to  a  sublime  spiritual 
idea  just  when  the  woman  is  most  sensitive,  when 
her  mind  is  alert,  and  she  is  quivering  with  the  dis- 
covery of  His  profound  spiritual  insight;  (7)  When 
the  woman  is  thus  prepared  for  it.  He  reveals  His 
own  Messianic  identity ;  He  is  the  Christ.  It  is  a 
wonderful  piece  of  strategy  in  soul-winning. 

4.  Observations.     How  could  John  record  this  conver- 

sation unless  actually  present  when  it  occurred  ?  Did 
he  remain  with  Jesus  during  this  interview,  though 
the  other  disciples  had  withdrawn?  Notice  that  the 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  approach  to  this  woman 
were  no  hindrance  to  Jesus.  We  shall  not  meet  any 
natural  or  artificial  barriers  so  hard  to  surmount  in 
preaching  religion  to  our  companions  as  Jesus  found 
in  the  hostility  between  Jews  and  Samaritans.  Ob- 
serve that,  having  been  convinced  of  the  real  sig- 
nificance of  Christ  and  His  teachings,  the  Samaritan 
woman  ran  away  to  call  others  to  Him,  including 
perhaps  that  man  who  was  not  her  husband  (28,  29). 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  119 

11.  JESUS  AND  HIS  DISCIPLES  (27-38). 

1.  Their  Silent  Astonishment  (27).    The  ancient  prej- 

udice against  teaching  a  woman.  The  silence  of  the 
disciples  is  both  a  tribute  to  their  loyalty  to  the 
Master,  and  also  an  evidence  of  the  impression  which 
His  character  had  made  upon  them, 

2.  Their  Lesson  on  Food  (31-34).     Putting  aside  their 

curiosity,  they  proffer  food  with  loving  anxiety.  In 
His  joy  Jesus  does  not  feel  the  necessity  of  material 
sustenance.  His  resources  of  strength  they  do  not 
understand.  Their  exclamation  of  surprise  and  ques- 
tion not  evidence  of  unusual  dullness.  Other  in- 
stances of  like  amazement  occur  often.  "What  won- 
der that  the  woman  did  not  understand  the  water? 
The  disciples  did  not  understand  the  food!"  (Au- 
gustine.) 

3.  Their  Lesson  of  the  Harvest  (35-38).    He  sees  the 

harvest  in  the  mere  promise  of  the  first  blades.  Sow- 
ing and  reaping  come  together  with  Him.  It  is 
often  so  with  other  religious  teachers.  But  often 
the  reapers  gather  what  others  have  sown,  and  the 
sower  does  not  reap  at  all.  Yet  all  will  rejoice  to- 
gether in  the  end. 

III.  JESUS  AND  THK  SAMARITANS  (39-42). 

The  discourse  with  the  disciples  has  occurred  while  the 
woman  has  been  away  in  the  city,  calling  the  people. 
She  has  left  her  waterpot,  forgetting  her  own  ma- 
terial needs,  and  has  been  stirring  up  the  citizens 
for  their  spiritual  benefit.  What  an  evangelist  she 
was!  (a)  She  brought  the  crowd  into  the  presence 
of  Jesus,  (b)  She  inspired  belief  in  their  hearts 
by  the  mere  recital  of  her  experience,  (c)  When 
she  had  conducted  them  to  Jesus,  they  were  eager 
to  investigate  further,  and  persuaded  Him  to  remain 
with  them  for  awhile,  (d)  In  two  days  the  num- 
ber of  believers  greatly  increased,  and  the  ground 
of  faith  was  shifted  from  her  testimony  to  their 
own  convictions.     Observe   how  these   Samaritans 


120      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

grasped  the  idea  of  Christ's  mission  to  save  the 
world.  It  is  often  so  among  the  heathen  of  to-day. 
The  Samaritans  evidently  did  not  require  the  "signs" 
for  which  the  Jews  were  always  clamoring. 


Hymn  No.  398. 

It  may  not  be  our  lot  to  wield 
The  sickle  in  the  ripened  field ; 
Nor  ours  to  hear,  on  summer  eves, 
The  reaper's  song  among  the  sheaves. 

— Whittier. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  see  a  whitened  field  wherever  I  look? 

2.  Have  I  learned  Christ's  secret  support  for  every 
task? 


Undeveloped  Possibilities. 

"Say  not  ye,  There  are  yet  four  months,  and  then 
Cometh  harvest f  Behold,  I  say  unto  you.  Lift  up  your 
eyes,  and  look  on  the  fields;  for  they  are  white  already 
to  harvest." — John  iv,  35. 

A  man  possessed  of  an  intemperate  optimism  said  not 
long  since  that  the  evangelization  of  the  world  was  pro- 
ceeding so  rapidly,  and  converted  heathen  were  show- 
ing themselves  so  ready  to  support  their  own  churches, 
and  to  extend  their  work  into  adjacent  regions,  that 
Christians  who  desired  to  have  any  part  in  the  mission- 
ary movement  would  need  to  contribute  quickly,  as  the 
opportunity  would  vanish  forever  at  an  early  date.  His 
motive  was  excellent,  but  his  intelligence  was  limited. 
With  a  comparatively  small  proportion  of  the  world's 
population  nominally  Christian,  with  many  millions  more 
of  heathen  on  the  earth  to-day  than  existed  when  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  took  practical  shape  something  over  a 
century  ago,  there  would  seem  to  be  left  a  problem  of 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  121 

no  mean  dimensions  for  the  Church  of  to-moriow.  This 
fact  alone  indicates  a  whitening  harvest  awaiting  the  toil 
and  patience  of  consecrated  laborers ;  for  the  world  is 
everywhere  accessible  to  the  invading  hosts  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  opportunity  is  big  with  promise. 

But  the  signs  of  an  evangelistic  crisis  may  be  dis- 
cerned at  closer  range.  When  William  Booth  many 
years  ago  directed  the  attention  of  the  Church  to  "the 
submerged  tenth"  of  England's  population,  or  the  more 
than  three  millions  of  destitute  and  unreached  creatures, 
who  were  devoid  of  privileges  in  the  house  of  God,  out- 
casts and  beggars  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  he  presented 
startling  evidence  of  a  field  crying  for  harvesters.  Con- 
ditions almost  as  portentous,  though  somewhat  dissim- 
ilar, exist  to-day  in  America,  where  the  drift  of  the  popu- 
lation to  the  cities  is  fast  swelling  into  a  torrent,  which 
apparently  becomes  increasingly  perilous  as  its  current 
is  enlarged  and  hastened  by  foreign  immigration.  If  all 
the  people  of  the  great  cities  desired  to  attend  divine 
worship,  the  churches  are  too  small  to  accommodate 
more  than  a  fraction  of  them ;  but  unfortunately  thou- 
sands of  them  have  no  wish  to  enter  a  sanctuary.  The 
audiences  in  these  great  centers  are  largely,  if  not  en- 
tirely, composed  of  the  prosperous  and  the  respectable, 
while  the  poor  and  the  needy  are  far  from  the  gates  of 
praise.  Thousands  of  workingmen — using  that  term  of 
the  artisan  class — are  utterly  alienated  from  the  Church. 
Scarcely  more  than  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  young 
men  of  the  nation,  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and 
thirty,  are  ever  found  within  a  place  of  worship ;  only 
fifteen  per  cent  are  regular  in  their  attendance  at  Church; 
and  only  five  per  cent  are  actually  enrolled  in  the  mem- 
bership of  the  Church.  But  young  men  between  these 
ages  constitute  two-thirds  of  the  criminal  classes  of  the 
country,  with  crime  showing  a  decided  tendency  to  in- 
crease in  many  parts  of  the  land.  Misconception  of  the 
attitude  of  the  Church  toward  the  depressed  elements 
in  the  population  inspires  many  of  those  who  most  need 
its  ministries  with  hostility  to  its  very  name.    Meanwhile 


122      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

sin  continues  to  drag  them  down  to  ever  deepening  pits 
of  social  and  moral  degradation. 

In  Edward  Bellamy's  "Looking  Backward,"  not  all 
the  doctrines  of  which  can  receive  the  unqualified  en- 
dorsement of  the  wise,  but  some  of  the  prophecies  of 
which  seem  in  a  fair  way  to  be  fulfilled,  the  author  rep- 
resents himself  as  coming  from  an  inspection  of  the 
misery  engendered  by  the  struggle  for  a  livelihood  in 
the  squalid  section  of  a  great  city,  to  a  fashionable  dinner 
party,  where  he  is  good-naturedly  censured  for  his  dull- 
ness. And  when  he  is  asked  where  he  has  been  to  make 
him  so  unconvivial,  he  replies,  somewhat  fiercely,  "I 
have  been  to  Golgotha;  I  have  seen  humanity  hanging 
on  a  cross !"  In  too  many  instances  the  instrument  of 
suflfering  endured  by  such  persons  was  constructed  by 
their  own  sinfulness,  but  in  some  cases  they  are  doubt- 
less the  victims  of  the  greed  and  cruelty  of  others.  The 
evils  of  intemperance,  of  industrial  tyranny,  of  commer- 
cial crookedness,  of  political  corruption,  which  fester  in 
our  great  cities,  and  which  complicate  the  miseries  of 
the  people,  provide  a  problem  of  enormous  magnitude 
for  our  Christian  leaders  to  solve.  Society  can  only  be 
regenerated  by  the  salvation  of  its  individual  members, 
and  Christ  is  calling  for  laborers  in  larger  numbers  than 
hitherto  have  answered  His  summons. 

"What  a  beautiful  field !"  exclaimed  Chalmers,  as  he 
looked  upon  the  degraded  purlieus  of  Edinburgh,  and 
with  the  passion  of  his  Lord  he  threw  himself  into  the 
task  of  cleansing  that  portion  of  the  city  from  its  reek- 
ing vileness.  Such  a  spirit  will  glorify  any  field  of  op- 
portunity, and  fill  the  soul  with  unquenchable  ardor. 

Apart  from  these  acute  manifestations  of  iniquity, 
there  are  indications  enough  of  the  requirement  for  en- 
larged evangelistic  effort  in  the  ordinary  conditions  of 
current  life.  Michelet  said :  "The  great  achievements  of 
the  Renaissance  were  the  discovery  of  the  world  and  the 
discovery  of  man."  Thanks  to  the  explorers,  the  scien- 
tists, the  investigators  of  the  universe,  the  world  we  live 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  123 

in  and  the  world  which  are  neighbors  to  our  planet  have 
been  discovered  and  chartered  in  the  sea  of  space.  The 
finding  of  man's  true  dignity  is  a  work  of  still  greater 
proportions.  The  emancipation  of  the  individual  con- 
science, the  liberation  of  the  intellect,  the  assertion  of 
human  rights  under  any  type  of  social  development — 
these  are  truly  magnificent  attainments  of  the  modern 
era.  But  the  pendulum  may  swing  too  far.  Even  now 
there  are  symptoms  of  an  undue  glorification  of  human 
excellence.  We  must  not  forget  Pascal's  pathetic  words : 
"O,  the  grandeur  and  the  littleness,  the  excellency  and 
the  corruption,  the  majesty  and  the  meanness  of  man !" 
The  prevalent  sentiment  apparently  regards  the  man  of 
the  twentieth  century  civilization  as  showing  no  defects 
which  education  can  not  remove,  thus  making  the  doc- 
trine of  regeneration  in  order  to  salvation  quite  obso- 
lete. This  position  is  contrary  to  the  observed  facts  of 
human  life,  and  is  contradicted  by  the  universal  moral 

I  consciousness.  "Do  n't  talk  to  me  of  the  natural  good- 
ness of  man,"  said  Frederick  the  Great,  "I  know  the 

j  animal  too  well  myself."  Luther  said,  "I  am  more  afraid 
of  my  own  heart  than  I  am  of  the  Pope  and  all  his  coun- 
cils." The  words  of  Jeremiah  are  sharp,  but  they  are 
warranted  by  the  modern  products  of  the  unregenerate 
spirit.     "The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  des- 

/perately  wicked."    The  most  obvious  need  of  human  life 

'  is  purification  at  the  center. 

We  are  building  the  finest  cities  since  the  dawn  of 
history.  Art  is  more  rational  and  diversified  than  at  any 
previous  period.  Music  has  more  votaries  than  at  any 
time  since  the  morning  stars  sang  together.  Intelligence 
is  more  widely  diffused  than  ever.  Civilization  is  more 
humane,  charity  is  more  extensive,  public  reforms  are 
more  acceptable,  and  private  manners  are  more  kindly 
than  society  has  ever  known  hitherto.  Nevertheless  we 
live  in  a  lost  world,  or  the  mission  of  Christ  was  unnec- 
essary, and  His  sacrifice  a  foolish  waste  of  life.  But  we 
know  that  each  generation  springs  into  action  tainted 
with  the  same  sinful  propensities  ;  and  society  can  never 
be  redeemed  from  its  failure  and  sorrows  until  it  accepts 


124      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

the  ministrations  of  Christ  as  the  sovereign  remedy  for 
its  ills.  Regeneration  is  the  supreme  necessity  of  the 
world,  and  we  need  not  turn  from  our  own  doorstep  to 
discover  that  this  is  so. 

'  "Give  me  a  hundred  men,"  said  John  Wesley,  "who 
fear  nothing  but  sin,  and  desire  nothing  but  God,  and 
I  will  shake  the  world ;  and  I  care  not  a  straw  whether 
they  be  clergymen  or  laymen,  and  such  alone  will  over- 
throw the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  build  up  the  kingdom 
of  God  on  earth."  He  obtained  his  complement,  and 
they  justified  his  prediction.  The  demand  for  all  times 
is  a  like  consecration  of  individuals  to  the  sublime  task 
of  saving  society.  The  world  requires  to  be  shaken  in 
every  generation.  It  is  a  mark  of  humanity's  moral  de- 
fault that  the  race  is  always  in  peril  of  lapsing  back 
into  spiritual  poverty.  Withdraw  the  offices  of  religion 
for  a  decade,  and  civilization  would  reel  toward  barbar- 
ism. This  hour,  as  always,  Christ  is  saying,  "Go,  work 
to-day  in  My  vineyard  !" 

The  inadequacy  of  workers  for  the  work  is  the  pain- 
ful element  in  the  current  situation.  "The  harvest  truly 
is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few.  Pray  ye,  there- 
fore, the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  He  will  send  forth 
laborers  into  his  harvest."  The  only  calling  in  the  world, 
in  which  the  supply  does  not  exceed  the  demand,  is  that 
of  Christian  service.  One  of  the  troubles  of  our  times 
is  that  religion  is  a  mere  department  in  men's  lives.  It 
has  a  pigeon-hole  in  the  merchant's  desk,  a  box  in  the 
capitalist's  safety  deposit  vault,  a  day  in  the  calendar, 
a  fraction  of  an  income,  a  modicum  of  time,  a  division 
of  talent  and  energy.  It  is  not  the  supreme,  controlling 
interest  of  life.  What  to  eat  and  drink,  and  wherewithal 
to  be  clothed,  the  quest  of  the  temporal,  absorbs  the  at- 
tention of  thousands.  Business  is  more  important  than 
worship,  politics  awakens  greater  enthusiasm  than  evan- 
gelism, the  pleasures  of  the  world  are  sweeter  than  the 
delights  of  God's  house.  The  majority  of  Christians 
are  receivers,  and  not  transmitters.     They  have  an  im- 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  125 

mense  capacity  for  sermons  and  addresses,  but  little  pur- 
pose to  transmute  pious  sentiments  into  practical  effort 
in  behalf  of  the  lost.  A  child  who  saw  a  deaf  man  sit- 
ting on  the  pulpit  stairs  with  a  large  ear-trumpet  against 
his  head,  asked,  "Is  that  an  archangel?"  Too  many 
Christians  who  ought  to  be  proclaiming  the  message  of 
salvation  are  content  with  merely  listening  to  its  charm- 
ing accents. 

The  ancient  Batavians,  Motley  tells  us,  wore  a  ring 
of  iron  about  their  necks  until  they  had  slain  an  enemy 
in  battle.  After  this  achievement  it  was  broken  off, 
being  considered  an  emblem  of  sloth.  The  Christian 
who  has  not  won  a  soul  for  his  Lord  is  burdened  with  a 
badge  of  humiliation,  which  can  not  be  removed  until 
he  has  at  least  made  an  honest  effort  to  lead  a  sinner  to 
the  Cross. 

A  young  American  girl  was  in  Berlin  some  years  ago 
when  the  Emperor's  birthday  was  being  celebrated.  It 
was  her  good  fortune  to  be  taken  through  the  palace 
during  the  absence  of  the  Kaiser,  and  to  be  shown  the 
gifts  which  were  on  exhibition.  What  chiefly  interested 
her  was  the  manner  in  which  a  poor  woman's  humble 
present  was  received.  She  came  with  a  few  little  straw- 
berries, which  she  had  evidently  raised  in  her  own  gar- 
den. These  were  so  small  in  quantity  that  her  basket 
had  first  been  nearly  filled  with  eggs,  and  then  the 
berries  had  been  arranged  to  the  best  advantage  on 
the  top.  The  attendant  who  received  them  said  most 
courteously,  "The  Emperor  will  be  very  grateful  for 
your  gift,"  and  the  woman  went  away  in  a  transport  of 
happiness,  for  she  had  brought  her  best  to  the  beloved 
sovereign.  The  English  historian  Green,  describing  a 
period  of  persecution  for  religious  opinions,  says  that 
"the  commonest  lives  gleamed  into  poetry  at  the  stake." 
Christian  service  transfigures  the  persons  of  those  who 
render  it,  for  sacrifice  is  involved  in  consecration,  and 
sacrifice  is  divine.  The  Christian  who  hesitates  to  work 
for  the  rescue  of  the  perishing  because  he  is  conscious 


126      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

that  his  talents  are  meager  has  never  learned  that  bring- 
ing one's  best  to  Christ,  however  humble  it  may  be,  is 
the  measure  of  one's  fidelity  and  the  prophecy  of  an  ex- 
ceeding great  reward.  The  aggregate  of  unused  talent 
in  the  world  is  very  greatly  in  excess  of  the  whole  sum 
which  is  applied  in  a  practical  way  to  the  help  of  the 
world.  The  aim  of  the  Church  is  to  realize  the  ideal 
expressed  in  the  prayer  of  Moses.  "Would  God  that 
all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord 
would  put  His  spirit  upon  them !"  If  the  power  which 
is  lost  to  the  Church  through  the  diffidence  of  the  humble 
and  the  neglect  of  the  talented  could  be  reclaimed,  the 
world  would  soon  be  brought  to  Christ. 

Whenever  Dr.  Johnson  looked  upon  the  face  of  his 
watch  he  saw  there  in  Greek  characters  the  impressive 
words,  "The  night  cometh."  Jesus  felt  the  instigation  of 
the  fact  thus  announced.  "I  must  work  the  works  of 
Him  that  sent  Me  while  it  is  day ;  the  night  cometh,  when 
no  man  can  work."  The  time  is  short,  the  need  is  great, 
the  laborers  are  few,  the  obligation  is  insistent. 

Jesus  was  inspired  by  a  vision  of  the  world  redeemed 
from  sin.  It  sustained  Him  in  hours  of  depression,  when 
His  enemies  misconstrued  His  motives  and  His  disciples 
misunderstood  His  words,  when  He  was  hungry  and 
weary  and  felt  the  world's  contempt.  It  comforted  Him 
when  Judas  betrayed  Him,  when  the  agony  of  Geth- 
semane  was  upon  Him,  when  the  mobs  buffeted  Him, 
and  when  the  authorities  bartered  His  blood.  It  thrilled 
Him  on  Calvary,  and  made  His  death-throes  a  mighty 
rapture.  He  looked  away  across  the  stormy  centuries 
through  the  clouds  of  war  and  the  mists  of  doubt,  and 
saw  the  world  recovered  from  the  fell  dominion  of  in- 
iquity, and  He  cried  like  a  victor  from  the  field  of  valor. 
"It  is  finished !"  The  coming  of  the  Samaritans  to  listen 
to  His  words  by  the  well  near  Sychar  gave  Him  a  fore- 
gleam  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  His  mission.  The 
acceptance  of  His  self-revelation  by  the  sinful  woman 
with  whom  He  conversed  at  noonday  presaged  for  Him 


THE  SAMARITAN  WOMAN.  127 

the  final  conquest  of  the  world  to  truth.  Weariness  and 
hunger  were  forgotten  in  the  joy  of  a  divine  achieve- 
ment. "I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of.  My 
meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  Me,  and  to  finish 
His  work." 

Into  the  vision  of  Jesus  Christ  every  disciple  may 
enter  who  will  co-operate  in  the  execution  of  His  mis- 
sion. To  realize  that  one  is  sharing  the  labors  of  Christ, 
and  shall  some  day  participate  in  His  triumph  and  expe- 
rience His  glory,  is  enough  to  make  one  shout  in  the 
very  streets  for  excess  of  joy. 

At  daybreak  on  the  summit  of  Snowdon  some  quarry- 
men  asked  Newman  Hall  to  preach  to  them.  He  re- 
plied that  God  was  preaching  to  them  through  the  won- 
ders of  nature  around  them,  and  that  it  was  better  for 
them  to  listen  to  His  voice.  He  simply  offered  prayer. 
Two  years  later  a  man  who  had  been  present  informed 
him  that  fifty  people  were  converted  as  the  outcome  of 
that  season  of  worship.  Newman  Hall  replied  that  he 
had  only  offered  prayer.  "Yes,"  was  the  answer,  "and 
as  they  only  spoke  Welsh  they  did  not  understand  a 
word  you  said,  but  the  result  was  a  revival  in  the  village 
church  near  at  hand."  Lives  that  are  hid  with  Christ 
in  God,  that  are  actuated  by  the  spirit  of  a  complete  con- 
secration to  duty,  will  find  a  whitening  harvest  every- 
where, and  will  experience  the  ecstasy  which  is  born  of 
success  in  places  where  even  devout  faith  has  not  antici- 
pated it. 


XL 
HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON. 

CHAPTER  IV.  43-54. 

Saint  John  expresses  the  Divine  voice  with  absolute 
authority  of  spiritual  life  and  death  in  the  present  and  in 
the  future. — Ramsay. 

Work  in  Galilee. 

John  gives  in  this  incident  the  final  illustration  in  a 
series  of  narratives  descriptive  of  the  work  of  Jesus  in 
the  several  provinces  of  Palestine,  to  wit:  In  Jerusalem, 
the  capital  (Chap.  II),  in  Judaea,  outside  the  capital 
(Chap.  Ill),  in  Samaria  ((^hap.  IV),  and  in  Galilee 
(Chap,  IV).  This  appears  to  be  the  plan  he  had  in  mind, 
and  not  a  mere  accident.  At  the  same  time  he  has  fol- 
lowed another  scheme,  which  illustrates  the  different 
kinds  of  work  Jesus  performed,  viz. :  first,  the  miracle, 
or  "sign ;"  second,  an  assertion  of  Messianic  office  in  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple ;  third,  two  interviews  with  indi- 
viduals;  fourth,  an  address  to  His  disciples;  fifth,  calling 
out  testimony  from  strangers.  The  chronological  order 
has  been  interrupted  to  the  extent  of  omitting  certain 
matter  which  the  writer  did  not  think  necessary  for  his 
purpose. 

I.  THE  GENERAL  SITUATION  IN  GALILEE  (43-45). 

After  two  days  of  teaching  in  Samaria  Jesus  passes 
on  to  Galilee.  John  accompanies  his  announcement  of 
this  fact  with  a  quotation  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  which 
seems  at  first  to  be  inappropriate  (43).  "His  own  coun- 
try" would  appear  to  be  Galilee,  when  we  remember  that 
Jesus  was  brought  up  at  Nazareth  and  that  He  spent 

128 


HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON.     129 

much  of  His  time  at  Capernaum.  What  He  assigns  as 
a  reason  for  going  into  GaHlee  would,  therefore,  seem 
to  be  a  good  reason  for  staying  away  from  GaHlee.  This 
presents  a  difficulty  of  interpretation,  and  has  led  to  the 
following  among  other  theories:  (i)  The  supposition 
that  He  went  into  Galilee  because  He  wanted  retirement 
and  rest,  and  would  be  undisturbed  in  a  part  of  the 
country  where  He  was  not  highly  esteemed.  This  idea 
is  supported  apparently  by  the  statement  in  the  early 
verses  of  Chap.  IV,  where  it  is  declared  that  on  account 
of  the  contentions  of  the  Pharisees  He  resolved  to  leave 
Judaea  and  go  into  Galilee,  where  He  would  not  be  sub- 
jected to  such  embarrassments.  The  other  evangelists 
record  a  similar  saying  about  the  prophet  without  honor 
in  his  own  country  with  reference  to  Nazareth  (Matt, 
xiii,  57;  Mark  vi,  4;  Luke  iv,  24).  (2)  Others  have  ex- 
plained that  Jesus  could  not  begin  His  public  ministry 
in  Galilee  because  "a  prophet  hath  no  honor,"  etc.  So 
He  began  in  Judsea,  and  having  made  a  reputation  out- 
side "His  own  country,"  He  came  back  to  it  with  a  cer- 
tain vogue.  John  iv,  45,  seems  to  contain  this  idea. 
(3)  Still  others  have  said  that  Christ's  own  country 
is  Judsea,  where  He  was  born,  and  which  was  the  home 
of  the  prophets.  Here  indeed  He  met  little  favor.  He 
had  been  compelled  to  withdraw  from  it.  When,  how- 
ever, He  came  into  Galilee  He  was  received  with  open 
arms.  The  truth  of  the  saying,  apart  from  all  consider- 
ations of  its  precise  interpretation  in  this  connection,  fs 
amply  justified  by  common  observation.  Impressed  by 
what  they  had  witnessed  of  the  works  and  words  of  Jesus 
at  the  feast  in  Jerusalem,  the  Galileans  gave  Him  a  very 
cordial  welcome.  The  hour  had  apparently  arrived  for 
Jesus  to  accomplish  a  more  positive  work. 

11.  THE  MIRACLE  AND  ITS  RESULTS   (46-54). 

I.  The  Occasion  (46,  47).    Back  to  Cana  where  the  first 
"sign"  had  been  given.     Another  work  in  the  do- 
mestic circle.     This  time  not  a  physical  embarrass- 
ment or  a  social  need,  but  a  matter  of  life.     Some 
9 


130      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

attribute  His  return  to  Cana  to  the  probability  that 
His  family  had  settled  there.  He  found  the  soil  pre- 
pared. His  coming  created  a  great  sensation.  The 
news  spread  rapidly.  "A  certam  nobleman."  The 
term  does  not  refer  to  birth.  He  was  an  official  of 
Herod  Antipas,  who,  though  only  a  tetrarch,  held 
his  father's  title  of  king.  Whether  this  man  held  a 
civil  or  military  position  is  unknown.  His  child  was 
lying  at  the  point  of  death.  His  anxiety  impels  him 
to  come,  not  send,  twenty  miles  from  Capernaum. 
Desires  eagerly  to  bring  Jesus  to  the  bedside  of  his 
child. 

2.  The  Nobleman's  Faith  Tested  (48).    Jesus  appears 

almost  cold  and  indiiTerent.  He  deprecates  the  dis- 
position of  the  Galileans  to  seek  "signs  and  won- 
ders" as  a  basis  for  faith.  Here,  as  elsewhere.  He 
insists  that  such  faith  is  not  of  the  highest  quality. 

3.  The  Nobleman's  Paternal  Anxiety  (49).    "My  little 

child."  The  man's  solicitude  is  pathetic.  Having 
come  twenty  miles  he  will  not  be  put  off.  Jesus 
shows  no  eagerness  to  secure  an  official  as  such  for 
an  adherent,  but  He  is  touched  by  the  man's  earnest- 
ness and  suffering.  He  also  realizes  that  while  the 
man  is  thus  engrossed,  no  higher  truth  than  pertains 
to  his  present  anxiety  can  be  introduced  into  his 
mind.  He  will  therefore  attend  to  his  plea,  while 
at  the  same  time  moving  the  man's  heart  to  deeper 
things. 

4.  The  Nobleman's  Faith  Enlarged  (50).    Jesus  gives 

more  than  the  man  asks.  The  father  believes  that 
Christ  can  come  and  heal  his  son,  but  it  did  not 
occur  to  him  that  He  could  heal  the  child  without 
coming.  Compare  the  case  of  the  centurion  (Matt, 
viii,  8).  The  nobleman  believed  that  Christ  could 
heal  a  sick  child,  but  he  did  not  dream  that  Christ 
could  raise  a  dead  child.  What  an  enlarged  vision 
of  Christ's  power  broke  upon  the  man's  mind  at  the 
words  of  Jesus,  "Thy  son  liveth."  Thus  a  feeble 
faith  is  nursed,  disciplined,  proved,  enlarged. 


HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON.     131 

5.  The   Sign   Confirmed   (51-53).     The  man   returned 

somewhat  leisurely.  Did  not  meet  his  servants  com- 
ing to  tell  him  the  good  news  until  the  next  day. 
Reasons  given  for  this  are  various,  as  follows :  ( i ) 
His  faith  is  so  confident  that  he  does  not  need  to 
hurry.  (2)  Had  some  business  affairs  as  an  official 
which  required  his  personal  attention.  (3)  Differ- 
ences in  the  computation  of  time  may  account  for 
apparent  delay.  In  any  case  the  child  had  rallied 
at  the  exact  time  Jesus  had  spoken  the  words,  as 
they  found  by  comparing  notes.  The  true  character 
of  a  miracle  is  shown  herein.  It  was  predicted,  or 
announced,  and  occurred  at  the  time  and  under  the 
circumstances  specified.  It  was  referable  to  a  per- 
sonal agent. 

6.  Impression  on  the  Nobleman  (53).     "Himself  be- 

lieved and  all  his  house."  He  believed  now  not 
merely  in  the  word  of  Jesus,  but  in  His  true  personal 
character.  "The  miracle  was  a  double  one:  on  the 
body  of  the  absent  child,  on  the  heart  of  the  present 
father ;  one  was  cured  of  his  sickness,  the  other  of 
his  unbelief."     (Trench.) 


Hymn  No.  672. 

Shepherd  of  tender  youth. 
Guiding  in  love  and  truth 

Through  devious  ways ; 
Christ  our  triumphant  King, 
We  come  Thy  name  to  sing. 
Hither  our  children  bring 

To  shout  Thy  praise. 

— Clement  of  Alexandria. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Are  we,  like  the  Capernaum  official,  anxious  to 
bring  Christ  and  our  children  together  ? 

2.  Are  we  anxious  enough  to  go  ourselves  to  get  Him, 
or  do  we  content  ourselves  with  merely  sending? 


132      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  Climax  of  Faith. 

"Himself  believed,  and  his  zvhole  house." 

—John  iv,  53. 

John  iiad  a  fine  sense  for  dramatic  movement.  If  he 
had  bee/  inventing  a  story  he  would  never  have  missed 
an  opportunity  for  cumulative  effect.  When  he  relates 
an  incide'  t  in  the  life  of  Christ  he  arranges  his  items 
in  a  prcj,  essive  order.  He  would  say  that  this  resulted 
inevitably  from  simply  recording  the  Master's  method 
of  dealing  with  individuals.  Illustrations  of  Christ's  art 
of  leading  a  soul  on  from  the  beginnings  of  belief  to 
the  confession  of  a  profound  faith  are  found  in  the  inter- 
view with  the  vSamaritan  woman,  the  healing  of  the  man 
who  was  blind  from  birth,  and  the  conversation  with 
Martha  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus.  The  same  skillful 
method  is  employed  in  developing  the  faith  of  the  noble- 
man whose  child  was  recovered  from  illness  by  the  word 
of  Jesus.  At  the  end  of  the  story  the  father  is  shown 
to  have  attained  a  summit  of  faith  of  which  he  did  not 
dream  at  the  commencement. 

A  young  Jewish  lad  named  David  Mendel,  who  used 
to  astonish  a  book-seller  in  Hamburg  by  losing  himself 
for  hours  in  volumes  so  learned  that  no  one  else  would 
touch  them,  was  attracted  to  certain  works  on  Chris- 
tianity, and  read  them  with  growing  interest.  He  was 
impressed  with  the  claims  which  Jesus  makes  upon  hu- 
manity, and  finally  became  convinced  that  He  who  taught 
such  ethics,  and  required  of  His  adherents  such  a  life, 
must  be  more  than  a  man.  For  a  long  time  he  wavered 
between  fidelity  to  the  teachings  of  his  parents  and  lo}^- 
alty  to  the  new  conceptions  which  had  entered  his  soul. 
At  length  he  could  hold  his  false  position  no  longer, 
and  publicly  renounced  Judaism  and  was  baptized.  To 
commemorate  the  change  which  had  occurred  in  his 
life  he  adopted  the  name  Neander,  signifying  nezv  man. 
Such,  by  a  slow  but  steady  process  from  the  first  awak- 
ening of  his  mind  to  the  final  surrender  of  his  will,  was 
the  conversion  of  the  man  who  has  been  called  the  father 


HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON.     133 

of  modem  Church  history.  In  like  manner  the  rudi- 
mentary faith  of  the  nobleman  of  Capernaum  grew  into 
mature  strength  under  the  cultivating  skill  of  Jesus. 

Trouble  was  the  inciting  cause  which  led  t.  ^  noble- 
man to  seek  the  help  of  Christ.  He  must  ha  .  had  a 
little  faith  in  the  power  of  the  person  who  had  created 
such  an  impression  by  his  works,  or  he  woulc-.not  have 
come  to  Cana.  But  if  he  had  not  been  in  cit^iress  he 
probably  would  not  have  approached  Jesus.  There  was 
at  least  a  willingness  to  believe,  born  of  his  detp  anxiety. 
Adversity  drives  many  a  soul  to  Christ.  Sickness  in  the 
household,  financial  embarrassment,  the  death  of  loved 
ones,  a  dire  misfortune,  will  often  send  men  to  their 
knees  who  have  not  been  accustomed  to  pray,  provided 
there  is  a  glimmer  of  faith  in  their  hearts.  Victor  Hugo 
says :  "The  pupil  is  dilated  at  night,  and  eventually  finds 
daylight  in  it,  in  the  same  way  as  the  soul  is  dilated  in 
I  misfortune,  and  eventually  finds  God  in  it."  Lincoln 
/  declared  that  he  had  little  interest  in  personal-  religion 
imtil  the  loss  of  a  child  turned  his  attention  to  the  con- 
solations secured  by  communion  with  God.  "I  was  an 
upright  man  in  my  outward  life  before  he  died,"  said 
a  father,  pointing  to  a  portrait  of  his  son  which  hung 
on  the  wall,  "but  when  he  left  me  I  became  a  Christian." 
In  the  hour  of  utter  defeat  many  a  man  who  has  neg- 
lected God  flees  to  Him  for  succor.  What  a  strange  in- 
consistency! What  right  has  he  to  pray  in  adversity 
who  has  been  mute  in  prosperity?  The  blessed  right  of 
one  in  trouble  to  appeal  to  Him  who  said.  "Come  unto 
Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest."  By  responding  to  that  invitation  when  life 
is  most  unpromising,  many  persons  of  little  faith  ulti- 
mately find  God. 

Daniel  Webster  during  his  last  illness  called  for  the 
reading  of  the  ninth  chapter  of  Mark,  in  which  occurs 
the  story  of  the  father  who  brought  his  demoniac  child 


134      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

to  Jesus,  and  said,  "If  Thou  canst  do  anything,  have  com- 
passion on  us  and  help  us."    When  Jesus  had  assured  the 
man  that  all  things  were  possible  to  him  who  believes, 
the  agonized  father  cried  out  in  tears,  "Lord,  I  believe ; 
help  Thou  mine  unbelief."    After  this  passage  had  been 
read,  Mr.  Webster  asked  for  the  tenth  chapter  of  John, 
1  which  concludes  with  the  words,  "And  many  believed 
I  on  Him  there."    Then  he  dictated  the  following  inscrip- 
/  tion  for  his  monument,  and  after  revising  it  affixed  his 
/  signature :  "Lord,  I  believe ;  help  Thou  mine  unbelief. 
/    Philosophical  argument,  especially  that  drawn  from  the 
I    vastness  of  the  universe,  in  comparison  with  the  apparent 
j     insignificance  of  this  globe,  has  sometimes  shaken  my 
!     reason  for  the  faith  that  is  in  me ;  but  my  heart  has  as- 
sured and  reassured  me  that  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
j    must  be  a  reality." 

On  a  certain  occasion  when  Jesus  had  been  giving 
His  disciples  some  teaching  which  was  particularly  diffi- 
cult for  them  to  receive,  they  exclaimed,  "Lord,  increase 
our  faith !"  Such  a  prayer  is  sure  to  be  answered,  and 
doubtless  Mr.  Webster  found  it  so,  for  he  passed  away 
in  the  full  confidence  that  Christ  had  redeemed  him,  say- 
ing fervently:  "Now,  unto  God  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost  be  praise  forever  and  forever !  Amen." 
The  nobleman  in  our  story  probably  was  not  spiritually 
intelligent  enough  to  ofifer  a  petition  for  increased  faith, 
but  his  heart  did  inspire  him  with  an  intense  yearning 
for  the  assistance  which  he  believed  he  could  obtain  of 
Christ,  who  never  misses  an  opportunity  to  draw  faitli 
on  to  a  deeper  expression.  In  this  instance  Jesus  seeks 
to  provoke  belief  of  a  higher  quality  by  a  policy  of  hesi- 
tation. He  chides  the  man  for  wanting  wonders  wrought 
to  induce  faith,  but  when  the  father  ignores  the  criticism 
and  in  a  passion  of  grief  cries  out,  "Sir,  come  down  ere 
my  child  die!"  Jesus  grants  his  request,  though  not  ex- 
actly in  the  way  he  had  asked.  For,  instead  of  going 
with  him  to  Capernaum,  Jesus  surpasses  what  the  man 
had  supposed  possible,  and  pronounces  the  child  healed 
at  that  moment,  saying,  "Go  thy  way ;  thy  son  liveth." 
Thus  Christ  nourishes  a  feeble  faith  into  strength. 


HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON.     135 

His  very  hesitation  is  but  to  test  the  sincerity  of  the 
suppHcant,  to  draw  his  desire  for  help  out  to  an  intense 
longing,  to  impel  him  to  cast  himself  utterly  upon  the 
Lord,  and  thus  finally  to  enable  him  to  apprehend  the 
meaning  of  belief  unto  eternal  life.  Many  acceptable 
prayers  doubtless  remain  unanswered  for  a  season,  not 
because  the  Lord  does  not  hear,  nor  because  He  is  not 
willing,  but  because  He  would  discipline  the  soul,  and 
tutor  it  into  a  nobler  trust. 

The  nobleman's  faith  now  assumes  such  proportions 
that  he  trusts  the  word  of  Jesus  completely.  He  betrays 
not  the  least  incredulity.  With  no  indication  of  anxiety, 
he  makes  his  journey  homeward,  to  find  on  conference 
with  his  servants,  who  meet  him  on  the  way,  that  his 
child  began  to  amend  at  the  precise  time  when  Jesus 
said,  "Thy  son  liveth."  Here  is  confirmatory  evidence 
that  Jesus  actually  wrought  the  miracle  He  announced, 
and  which  the  nobleman  believed  was  performed  before 
he  possessed  the  proof.  That  is  genuine  faith,  and  it  has 
the  quality  which  believers  must  now  show,  if  they  are 
to  receive  the  benefits  of  fellowship  with  Christ.  Mr. 
Huxley  admitted  that  "It  is  not  upon  any  a  priori  con- 
siderations that  objections  either  to  the  supposed  efficacy 
of  prayer  or  to  the  supposed  occurrences  of  miracles 
can  be  based."  He  thought,  as  do  other  doubters  of  the 
miraculous,  that  the  evidence  for  such  supernatural 
events  is  not  adequate.  But  the  argument  that  an  occur- 
rence is  altogether  improbable  if  it  contradicts  the  gen- 
eral experience  of  mankind  is  not  to  be  relied  upon 
with  perfect  confidence.  Said  Lyman  Abbott:  "If  the 
Old  Testament  told  the  story  of  a  naval  engagement  be- 
tween the  Jewish  people  and  a  pagan  people,  in  which 
all  the  ships  of  the  pagan  people  were  destroyed,  and 
yet  not  a  single  man  was  killed  among  the  Jews,  all  the 
skeptics  would  have  scorned  the  narrative.  Every  one 
now  believes  it,  except  those  who  live  in  Spain." 

Is  Christ  divine?  Then  He  can  do  anything  which 
is  right,  and  is  sufficiently  wise  to  know  when  the  object 


136      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

sought  is  important  enough  to  justify  the  miraculous  ex- 
ercise of  power.  The  heaHng  of  this  child  without  the 
interposition  of  Christ's  bodily  touch,  or  even  His  per- 
sonal attendance  at  the  sick  bed,  is  no  more  incredible 
to  those  who  believe  in  Christ's  true  character  than  the 
wonders  of  wireless  telegraphy  would  be  to  those  who 
have  never  learned  its  secrets  or  witnessed  its  remark- 
able performances;  while  the  marvels  of  thought-trans- 
ferrence  and  other  psychic  phenomena,  which  modern 
investigators  of  occult  science  have  brought  to  light,  in- 
dicate how  foolish  and  unreasonable  is  the  usual  protest 
against  the  miracles  of  Jesus.  In  any  case  the  Christian 
believes  his  Lord  is  superior  to  any  difficulties  which  con- 
front ordinary  persons,  for  He  is  the  Son  of  God. 

Into  fellowship  with  Him  let  the  children  and  youth 
of  our  households  be  brought  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 
Parental  anxiety  for  the  health,  the  education,  and  the 
worldly  success  of  the  young  is  ordinarily  strong  enough. 
But  eagerness  for  their  spiritual  well-being  is  frequently 
lacking.  Even  those  who  are  entrusted  with  the  religious 
instruction  of  children  are  sometimes  unmindful  of  their 
highest  obligations.  Parents  and  ministers  and  teachers 
in  the  Sunday-school  do  not  always  realize  the  solemnity 
of  their  positions. 

When  the  Greeley  Relief  Expedition  had  reached  the 
frozen  regions  of  the  North,  and  the  few  survivors  of  the 
Arctic  perils  were  being  removed,  the  boats  in  which 
they  were  to  be  conveyed  to  the  ship  were  nearly 
swamped  by  the  carelessness  of  a  sailor.  The  officer  in 
command  cried  out:  "Steady!  Steady!  It  were  better 
for  us  not  to  have  found  these  sufferers,  if  we  are  now 
to  be  so  careless  as  to  lose  them."  It  would  have  been 
better  that  we  had  never  been  given  the  privilege  of  ad- 
dressing ourselves  to  the  care  of  the  young,  if  we  are 
now  to  miss  the  opportunity  of  bringing  them  within 
the  saving  grace  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  climax  of  the  nobleman's  faith  was  attained  when 
he  attached  himself  to  Jesus  Christ  in  personal  fellow- 
ship.    As  a  consequence  of  the  steady  development  of 


HEALING  OF  THE  NOBLEMAN'S  SON.     137 

his  confidence  in  the  Master,  "himself  believed,  and  his 
whole  house."  That  would  be  a  strange  expression  to 
use  at  this  point,  if  it  did  not  mean  more  than  had  already 
been  said.  The  man  believed  to  a  certain  degree  when 
he  first  came  to  Jesus.  He  believed  with  a  fuller  confi- 
dence when  Jesus  said,  "Thy  son  liveth."  He  believed 
with  a  still  deeper  trust  when  his  servants  confirmed  his 
expectations.  But  when  he  saw  with  his  own  eyes  the 
indisputable  evidence  of  his  child's  recovery  he  believed 
in  the  real  mission  of  Jesus,  and  hailed  Him  as  the  Mes- 
siah. Henceforth  he  would  be  a  loyal  disciple,  for  he 
was  a  changed  man. 

No  miracle  would  be  of  any  permanent  value  to  us 
if  it  did  not  thus  bring  us  into  loving  attachment  to 
Christ  as  Lord  and  Savior.  Faith-cures  which  have  no 
spiritual  eflfects  must  be  forever  under  suspicion.  That 
miracle  is  most  impressive  which  most  obviously  trans- 
forms the  character  of  him  in  whose  behalf  it  is  per- 
formed. 

A  tall  and  powerful  Scotchman  working  in  a  steel 
mill  was,  like  many  of  his  fellows,  addicted  to  the  exces- 
sive use  of  strong  drink.  But  one  day  it  was  announced 
that  he  had  turned  "religious."  And  when  he  was 
pressed  to  drink  he  said,  "I  shall  never  take  a  drink 
mair,  lads.  Na  drunkard  can  inhabit  the  kingdom  of 
God."  A  knowing  one  smiled  incredulously,  and  said, 
"Wait  a  bit,  wait  a  bit.  Wait  until  the  hot  weather  of 
July.  When  he  gets  as  dry  as  a  gravel  pit,  then  he  will 
give  in.  He  can't  help  it,"  But  straight  through  the 
hottest  months  he  toiled  on  without  a  single  failure. 
Finally  the  superintendent  said  to  him  one  day:  "You 
used  to  take  considerable  liquor.  Do  n't  you  miss  it  ?" 
"Yes,"  said  he  emphatically.  "How  do  you  manage  to 
keep  away  from  it  ?"  he  was  asked.  "Weel,  just  this  way," 
he  replied.  "It  is  now  ten  o'clock,  is  n't  it  ?  Weel,  to-day 
is  the  twentieth  of  the  month.  From  seven  till  eight  I 
asked  the  Lord  to  halp  me.  He  did  so,  and  I  put  a  dot 
down  on  the  calendar  right  near  the  twenty.  From  eight 
till  nine  He  kep'  me,  and  I  put  down  anither  dot.  From 
nine  to  ten  He  's  kep'  me,  and  noo  I  gie  Him  the  glory 


138      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

as  I  put  down  the  third  dot.  Just  as  I  mark  these  I  pray, 
'O  Lord,  halp  me ;  halp  me  to  fight  it  off  for  anither 
hour.'  "  If  a  man  has  never  experienced  a  transform- 
ing power  akin  to  this,  even  though  it  be  not  in  such  a 
desperate  situation,  then  he  does  not  reaHze  the  kind  of 
miracles  Jesus  is  capable  of  performing,  nor  has  he  dem- 
onstrated for  himself  the  supreme  efficacy  of  faith  in 
the  Son  of  God. 


SECTION  III. 
PERIOD  OF  CONFLICT. 

CHAPTERS  V-XI. 

In  this  section  of  John's  Gospel  we  have  five  miracles 
or  "signs"  and  a  variety  of  very  important  discourses, 
suggested  mainly  by  the  hostiHty  of  the  Jewish  rulers 
toward  Christ,  which  from  this  point  begins  to  show  itself 
openly,  and  which  culminates  after  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
in  an  avowed  determination  to  destroy  the  Master.  The 
divisions  in  John's  work  need  to  be  kept  in  mind  if  the 
purpose  of  the  writer  is  to  be  fully  understood.  This 
is  made  the  more  necessary  by  the  differences  which  exist 
between  his  Gospel  and  the  narratives  of  the  other  evan- 
gelists.    Section  III   falls  into  the  following  divisions: 

1.  The  Healing  at  ti-ie  Pool  of  Bethesda. 

2.  Discourse  on  Life:  A  Defense. 

3.  Signs  at  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

4.  Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life. 

5.  Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

6.  Jesus  and  the  Fallen  Woman. 

7.  The  Witness  of  Jesus  Concerning  Himself. 

8.  The  Healing  of  the  Man  Born  Blind. 

9.  The  Allegory  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

10.  Discourse  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication. 

11.  The  Raising  of  Lazarus. 

139 


XII. 

HEALING  OF  THE  IMPOTENT  MAN  AT  BETHESDA. 

CHAPTER  V.  1-16. 
The  Fourth  Gospel  is  the  heart  ol  Christ. — Ernesti. ' 

Introduction  (1-4). 

Uncertain  what  feast  is  meant.  Opinions  divided  be- 
tween Pentecost,  Purim,  Passover,  Tabernacles.  Most 
modern  scholars  think  Purim.  Study  characteristics  of 
this  feast. 

Impossible  to  identify  the  pool  of  Bethesda  with  cer- 
tainty. Several  plausible  conjectures  have  been  made. 
Intermittent  springs  now  found  in  the  locality  show  how 
favorable  the  soil  is  to  such  a  phenomenon.  Bethesda 
may  mean  "House  of  Mercy,"  or  "House  of  Outpour- 
ing," or  "House  of  the  Portico."  The  pool  was  sur- 
rounded by  colonnades,  porticoes,  or  cloisters,  in  which 
the  sick  could  be  sheltered.  The  place  was  a  kind  of 
infirmary  to  which  Jesus  came  perhaps  to  heal  this  very 
patient. 

The  reputation  of  the  place  was  established,  for  a 
multitude  of  expectant  sick  folk  were  waiting  for  the 
boiling  of  the  waters,  which  were  probably  mineral,  and 
most  efficacious  when  in  motion.  The  reference  to  the 
coming  of  the  angel  to  disturb  the  pool  is  simply  a  phras- 
ing of  the  popular  belief,  and  is  regarded  as  an  interpo- 
lation by  the  best  scholars.  Observe  that  supernatural 
qualities  are  ascribed  to  phenomena  which  are  not  under- 
stood. Science  clears  away  such  superstitions,  but  sci- 
ence does  not  account  for  the  miracles  of  Jesus.  There 
was  no  instantaneous  cure  worked  by  this  thermal  spring. 

141 


142      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  patients  who  sought  it  probably  had  no  such  expec- 
tation. They  believed  that  by  repeated  baths  they  would 
finally  be  healed. 

I.  THE  SIGN  (5-9). 

I.  The  Man's  Hapless  State.  Has  been  thirty-eight 
years  suffering  his  malady.  Figures  given  to  show 
how  desperate  is  his  case.  Some  think  this  an 
illustration  of  the  period  of  thirty-eight  years  which 
Israel  endured  as  a  punishment  wandering  in  the 
wilderness.  The  man  a  type  of  the  Jewish  people 
paralyzed  by  faithlessness  at  the  time  of  Christ's 
coming.  Jesus  with  His  deep  discernment  quickly 
discovers  the  worst  case  in  the  crowd.  Perhaps  He 
knows  his  situation  from  popular  account,  perhaps 
by  supernatural  intelligence.  The  miracles  reported 
by  John  are  all  wrought  spontaneously,  as  though 
they  were  impelled  by  Christ's  profound  sympathy 
with  humanity,  except  the  healing  of  the  nobleman's 
son  in  Chap.  IV. 

a.  The  Great  Physician's  Challenge.  "Do  you  wish  to 
get  well?  have  you  a  will  to  that  end?"  The  inter- 
rogation is  justified.  There  are  invalids  who  do  not 
care  to  be  healed.  They  trade  on  their  sickness  as 
professional  mendicants,  or  they  take  satisfaction  in 
the  attentions  of  their  friends.  This  man's  healing 
depended  in  large  part  upon  his  will  to  have  it.  In 
the  physical  realm  the  will  plays  a  very  considerable 
part,  as  all  medical  men  will  testify.  In  the  spiritual 
realm  it  is  the  determining  factor,  and  is  called  faith. 
If  either  a  sick  man  or  a  sinner  acquiesces  in  his  con- 
dition there  is  no  hope  for  him. 

3.  The  Helpless  Helped  (7-9).  Having  no  man  to  cast 
him  into  the  pool,  and  being  incapable  of  entering 
himself,  the  impotent  man  is  shown  that  he  does  not 
require  the  pool,  or  any  other  external  remedy.  The 
Master  cries,  "Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk." 
Three  things  are  thus  shown  to  be  necessary:  i.  In- 
stant obedience  to  the  call,  which  will  be  followed  by 


THE  IMPOTENT  MAN  AT  BETHESDA.     143 

strength.  2,  Immediate  trust,  which  will  enable  him 
to  abandon  all  other  means  of  healing.  3.  Readiness 
to  use  the  strength  obtained  forthwith.  The  result 
is  an  instantaneous  cure. 

II.  THE  RESULT  OF  THE  SIGN  ^10-16). 

1.  Hostility  of  the  Jews.    Attack  upon  the  man,  which 

is  a  veiled  assault  upon  Jesus.  They  care  nothing 
for  the  cure.  They  are  only  zealous  for  the  sup- 
pression of  the  healer.  The  Sabbath  law  is  broken 
in  the  letter.  It  is  nothing  to  them  that  it  is  kept 
in  the  spirit,  which  they  do  not  understand.  Jesus 
was  culpable  if  judged  only  by  the  Rabbinical  glosses 
on  the  fourth  commandment.  He  was  innocent  if 
judged  by  the  law  of  love.  By  a  rigid  and  showy 
keeping  of  the  Sabbatic  regulations  the  Pharisees 
made  a  display  of  outer  righteousness.  By  himiane 
deeds  on  the  Sabbath  Jesus  gave  the  law  a  new  and 
beautiful  interpretation,  which  they  could  not  appre- 
ciate. 

2.  The  Man's  Defense  (11-13).    To  his  mind  the  great 

person  who  had  power  to  heal  him  with  a  word,  had 
also  authority  to  bid  him  carry  away  his  bed  on  the 
Sabbath  day.  The  Pharisees  are  eager  to  see  the 
man  who  has  arrogated  to  himself  such  unusual 
prerogatives.  But  the  healed  patient  does  not  know 
his  benefactor,  who  has  quietly  slipped  away  in  the 
crowd. 

3.  The  Healer  Discovered  (14,  15).    Jesus  supplements 

the  physical  healing  with  spiritual  teaching.  In  the 
temple,  whither  the  man  has  gone  perhaps,  to  return 
thanks,  the  Master  finds  him,  and  bids  him  sin  no 
more,  lest  a  worse  affliction  come  upon  him.  In  some 
way  the  man's  suffering  has  been  connected  with  his 
sins.  Not  necessary  to  think  this  is  always  true  in 
specific  cases.  The  personal  identity  of  Jesus  is  in 
some  way  disclosed,  and  the  man  goes  away  to  pro- 
claim His  name.  In  this  there  is  no  evil  intention, 
but  a  desire  to  vindicate  both  himself  and  the  healer, 


144      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

who  is  the  already  famous  teacher  and  miracle 
worker  from  Galilee,  whose  works  and  words  surely 
justify  His  irregularities. 

4.  The  Increased  Emnity  (16).  They  now  move  for 
the  first  time  to  destroy  Him.  They  attempt  to  con- 
vict Him  of  Sabbath-breaking,  as  He  has  already 
convicted  them  of  profaning  the  temple. 


Hymn  No.  242. 

With  pitying  eyes  the  Prince  of  grace 

Beheld  our  helpless  grief: 
He  saw,  and,  O  amazing  love ! 

He  ran  to  our  relief. — Isaac  Watts. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  honestly  desire  salvation? 

2.  Am  I  ready  to  give  instant  response  to  the  Lord? 


The  Cure  of  Souls. 

Wilt  thou  he  made  zvhole? — John  v,  6. 

This  narrative  is  no  sooner  read  than  some  hard- 
brained  man  who  thinks  more  of  mathematics  than  dog- 
matics, who  would  rather  be  logical  than  theological, 
declares  that  it  is  a  story  more  worthy  of  the  Middle 
Ages  than  of  our  times,  and  wants  to  know  how  the 
Bible  can  expect  to  hold  the  allegiance  of  intelligent  peo- 
ple while  it  adheres  to  such  preposterous  tales,  which 
remind  one  of  the  Church  of  St.  Anne  de  Beaupre  or 
the  statues  of  bleeding  saints,  or  the  grotto  of  Lourdes. 
He  does  not  know  that  textual  criticism  removes  certain 
portions  of  the  narrative  which  are  offensive  to  reason. 
Our  Revised  Version  recognizes  the  fact  that  a  popular 
misconception  of  the  day  about  angelic  interference  in 
the  waters  of  a  thermal  spring  has  been  transferred  from 


THE  IMPOTENT  MAN  AT  BETHESDA.     145 

the  margin  of  an  old  manuscript  into  the  body  of  the  text, 
and  has  wisely  omitted  it.  And  this  may  be  done  without 
impairing  the  value  of  the  story.  On  the  other  hand, 
it  receives  added  strength. 

Those  who  throw  over  an  entire  narrative  because 
some  of  its  details  do  not  appeal  to  their  reason  are  as 
unwise  as  an  old  Dutch  farmer,  whose  buildings  were 
overrun  with  rats,  and  who  resorted  to  the  expedient  of 
burning  down  the  structures  in  order  that  he  might  de- 
liver himself  from  the  pests.  There  are  persons  to-day 
calling  themselves  logical  who,  because  occasionally  they 
discover  a  minor  defect  in  the  Scriptures,  repudiate  the 
whole  system  of  Christianity.  But  after  criticism  has 
done  its  best  there  remains  the  fact  that  Jesus  did  heal 
the  impotent  man.  We  can  not  strike  out  the  super- 
natural from  the  New  Testament.  It  is  here  and  every- 
where. And  while  the  skeptical  may  question  the  mirac- 
ulous element  in  this  healing,  on  the  supposition  that  the 
man  was  possessed  of  such  a  disease  as  only  needed  for 
its  removal  an  authoritative  voice  to  make  the  victim's 
will  assert  itself,  no  such  explanation  will  account  for 
many  other  recorded  miracles.  And  we  have  no  occasion 
to  make  apology  for  Jesus.  He  is  life,  and  life  essen- 
tially. And  what  we  call  the  miraculous  is  simply  the 
extraordinary  emergence  of  life,  the  unusual  working  of 
an  activity  that  is  constantly  in  exercise,  Huxley  ad- 
mitted that  there  was  no  inherent  reason  to  deny  the 
credibility  of  a  miracle;  and  we  who  have  seen  Jesus 
working  spiritual  miracles  in  this  twentieth  century  have 
no  reason  to  discredit  the  story  of  His  physical  miracles 
in  the  first  century.  But  Jesus  was  always  chary  of  per- 
forming miracles.  He  had  no  disposition  to  work  them 
merely  that  men  might  be  amazed.^  The  wonder  is  that 
He  performed  so  few ;  that  He  should  have  been  so  self- 
controlled  as  not  to  be  forever  doing  wonders.  His  mir- 
acles were  for  "signs ;"  they  were  to  signify  something. 
They  are  as  different  from  the  miracles  of  the  Middle 
Ages  as  can  be  conceived.  There  is  no  moral  significance 
in  a  story  of  healing  by  the  bones  of  saints.  But  in  the 
miracles  which  Jesus  works  there  is  an  essential  moral 
10 


146      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

significance,  a  spiritual  lesson,  a  type  of  eternal  life  which 
the  student  can  not  possibly  overlook.  John  seems  to 
have  fallen  into  the  habit  of  his  Master's  mind,  and 
thought  always  of  His  miracles  in  relation  to  divine 
truth.  Did  Jesus  by  wondrous  multiplication  of  fishes 
and  loaves  feed  five  thousand  men  ?  Then  it  was  a  mark 
of  the  fact  that  He  was  Himself  the  Bread  of  Life.  Was 
He  able  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind  man?  Then  it  was 
a  sublime  illustration  of  the  fact  that  Jesus  is  the  Light 
of  the  World.  Could  He  cure  an  impotent  man  at  the 
pool  of  Bethesda?  Then  it  was  a  type  of  the  fact  that 
He  could  restore  those  who  were  spiritually  impotent. 
Did  He  raise  Lazarus  from  the  dead?  Then  it  was  to 
prove  that  He  was  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life. 

"Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?"  It  is  a  very  important 
question.  Not  every  one  who  whines  about  his  sickness 
is  anxious  to  be  well.  There  are  people  who  really 
"enjoy  poor  health."  The  professional  mendicant  likes 
to  tear  open  his  wound  and  expose  it  to  your  sympathetic 
gaze.  He  will  tell  you  pathetically  the  number  of  hos- 
pitals he  has  entered,  what  he  has  suffered  at  the  hands 
of  many  physicians.  There  may  be  hypocrisies  in  the 
sick  room.  A  chronic  illness  which  is  not  attended  by 
great  sufifering  is  often  regarded  as  a  luxury  not  to  be 
given  up  without  a  protest.  The  flowers  and  fruits  which 
kindly-disposed  people  bring  to  the  afflicted,  the  gentle 
attentions  which  the  merciful  and  gracious  love  to  pay 
to  the  unfortunate — these  are  exceedingly  agreeable.  To 
be  the  object  of  a  compassionate  interest,  such  as  is 
not  bestowed  on  the  well,  constitutes  a  very  seductive 
temptation  to  remain  ill  as  long  as  possible.  Do  you  wish 
to  get  physical  soundness?  is  a  very  significant  question. 
Are  you  willing  to  accept  the  responsibilities  of  being  in 
health?  A  sick  man  has  the  right  to  be  idle.  Do  you 
wish  to  be  well  and  to  cease  from  idleness?  An  invalid 
is  entitled  to  delicate  attentions.  Do  you  desire  to  be 
recovered  from  your  malady,  so  that  you  can  quit  being 


THE  IMPOTENT  MAN  AT  BETHESDA.     147 

a  beneficiary  and  begin  to  be  a  benefactor?  Such  a 
question  strikes  at  the  very  center  of  character. 

"Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?"  is  the  challenge  of  Jesus 
to  those  who  are  suffering  from  spiritual  impotency.  Do 
you  want  to  assume  the  obligations  which  sound  health 
imposes?  It  is  natural  for  the  morally  invalid  to  be  the 
object  of  various  ministrations.  Do  you  want  to  be 
well  enough  to  minister  to  others  who  are  in  need? 

Not  every  one  who  is  sick  and  talks  so  interestingly 
of  his  disease  is  really  anxious  to  be  relieved  of  his 
spiritual  sickness.  The  melancholy  of  his  situation  is  im- 
pressive. He  is  the  object  of  much  solicitude  on  the  part 
of  godly  people.  His  evil  habits  have  victimized  him, 
and  he  likes  his  picturesque  misery.  Lord  Byron  was 
guilty  of  such  a  foolish  self-pity.  He  showed  a  mawkish 
sentimentality  about  the  sins  which  he  never  ceased  to 
love.  He  was  pleased  to  think  of  himself  as  the  unfortu- 
nate prey  of  fleshly  lusts,  while  he  gloried  in  his  shame. 
Sometimes  moral  obliquity  sinks  so  low  that  the  sinner 
plumes  himself  on  his  insensibility.  A  man  recently  said 
that  he  would  rather  pay  ten  thousand  dollars  to  retain 
his  delicious  thirst  for  alcoholic  beverages,  to  which  he 
was  a  slave,  than  to  pay  one  hundred  dollars  for  its  re- 
moval. When  a  soul  has  dropped  into  that  abyss  of 
spiritual  morbidity,  he  can  scarcely  hear  the  voice  of 
God  summoning  him  to  liberty  and  life.  Fenelon  im- 
agined a  dialogue  between  Ulysses  and  Grillus,  the  man 
whom  Circe  had  turned  into  a  hog.  Ulysses  wished  to 
bring  him  back  to  manhood.  But  Grillus  would  not  con- 
sent. He  said,  "No,  the  life  of  a  hog  is  so  much  pleas- 
anter."  "But,"  said  Ulysses,  "Do  you  make  no  account 
of  eloquence,  poetry,  and  music?"  "No,  I  would  rather 
grunt  than  be  eloquent  like  you."  "But,"  asked  Ulysses 
further,  "How  can  you  endure  this  nastiness  and  stench?" 
Grillus  replied,  "It  all  depends  on  the  taste ;  the  odor  is 
sweeter  to  me  than  that  of  amber,  and  the  filth  than  the 
nectar  of  the  gods." 

It  is  a  pertinent  question  for  every  spiritually  im- 
potent person — Do  you  sincerely  wish  to  get  well,  or  do 
you  prefer  to  languish  amid  the  porticoes  of  Bethesda? 


148      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

"Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?"  Have  you  a  will  to  be 
sound  in  health  ?  The  impotent  man  in  the  story  replies 
to  Jesus :  "Sir,  I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is  troubled, 
to  put  me  into  the  pool ;  but  while  I  am  coming,  another 
steppeth  down  before  me."  But,  have  you  a  will  to  be 
well  ?  If  the  patient  has  no  purpose  to  secure  health,  the 
conscientious  doctor  may  as  well  throw  physic  to  the 
dogs.  If  the  sufferer  refuses  to  launch  his  will  into  co- 
operation with  the  medical  practitioner's  effort,  there  is 
no  hope  of  recovery.  What  a  wondrous  therapeutic 
agency  is  the  will !  Wyclif  is  dying,  and  the  monks  enter 
his  chamber  to  announce  the  Pope's  bull  of  excommuni- 
cation. They  hold  out  the  promise  of  restoration  to  the 
favor  of  the  Church  if  he  will  recant  his  heretical  teach- 
ings. Then  the  mighty  reformer  raises  himself  upon  his 
elbow,  looks  his  tormentors  in  the  face,  and  declares  that 
he  will  not  die,  but  will  live  to  confute  his  enemies.  And 
live  he  does  for  four  long  years  to  push  his  sublime  work 
for  religious  freedom.  History  is  brimful  of  such  illus- 
trations, and  current  life  is  producing  them  every  day. 
It  is  a  matter  of  great  moment  that  a  man  shall  will  to 
throw  off  the  tyranny  of  disease. 

Do  you  will  to  be  saved  from  sin?  is  the  question 
Jesus  is  asking.  The  man  at  Bethesda  heard  the  chal- 
lenge of  the  Master,  responded  to  it,  and  in  the  expend- 
iture of  his  will,  by  an  exercise  of  what  we  call  faith, 
took  up  his  mat  and  walked.  By  Divine  energy  the  latent 
will  of  the  man  was  aroused.  To  Christ's  "Rise  up  and 
walk"  the  man  gave  instant  acquiescence,  and  received 
immediate  healing.  "Afterward  Jesus  findeth  him  in  the 
temple,  and  said  unto  him.  Behold  thou  art  made  whole: 
sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing  come  upon  thee."  Here 
again  the  will  is  made  responsible.  "I  have  a  frightful 
temper,"  says  the  impotent  sinner ;  "it  sweeps  me  off 
my  feet."  That  is,  you  are  temporarily  insane.  You 
comfort  yourself  with  the  thought  that  you  are  irrespon- 
sible. Did  you  ever  set  your  will  against  it?  You  have 
a  darling  sin ;  it  subverts  you,  it  shames  you,  but  you 
say  you  can  not  help  it.  Have  you  set  your  will  against 
it?    Do  you  want  to  be  made  whole?     No,  you  expect 


THE  IMPOTENT  MAN  AT  BETHESDA.     149 

some  friend  to  put  you  into  the  pool,  and  you  fancy  the 
magic  of  its  effervescent  waters  will  effect  a  cure.  You 
look  in  the  wrong  direction.  Christ  is  appealing  to  you, 
"Rise  up  and  walk !"  You  hope  that  some  tide  of  reli- 
gious emotion  will  seize  you  in  a  fortunate  hour  and  bear 
you  far  on  toward  righteousness  and  purity.  You  do 
not  consider  that  some  refluent  wave  of  human  passion 
may  sweep  you  back  into  moral  impotence  and  misery. 
It  is  the  constant  willing  to  do  the  will  of  God  which 
brings  a  salvation  which  endures  to  the  end. 

"Wilt  thou  be  made  whole?"  Your  will  and  His  will 
must  coalesce,  for  the  power  of  the  healing  is  in  Christ. 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  The  hour  is  coming  and 
now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live."  Pay  heed  to  Him, 
and  health  is  yours.  It  is  your  will  yielding  subordina- 
tion to  His  will  which  effects  the  cure.  The  sympathy 
and  tenderness  of  Jesus  are  unparalleled.  He  resorts  to 
the  natural  hospital  at  Bethesda,  where  He  can  find  a 
multitude  of  sick  folk,  and  casts  His  eye  about  to  dis- 
cover the  worst  case  there.  He  journeys  up  and  down 
the  world  with  the  same  blessed  purpose.  The  most 
deplorable  sufferers  are  not  those  which  seem  to  human 
eyes  the  utterly  degraded,  who  wanton  in  the  slums  and 
purlieus  of  the  city,  for  often  these  know  they  are  in 
hell  and  are  eager  to  escape  from  torment.  The  most 
pitiable  cases  are  the  impotent,  the  self-pitying,  the  self- 
righteous,  with  whom  it  is  difficult  for  us  to  have  sym- 
pathy, but  for  whom  Christ  has  deep  compassion.  How 
wonderful  is  His  tenderness !  What  surpassing  devotion 
is  His !  He  loves  even  the  fool  in  his  folly.  And  if  it 
were  possible  He  would  save  such  without  their  consent. 
You  sometimes  fancy  it  would  be  better  if  Jesus  would 
come  to  the  world  and  take  humanity  on  His  shoulders, 
as  .^neas  did  the  old  Anchises,  and  bear  them  one  by 
one  out  of  sickness  into  health,  out  of  sin  into  salvation. 
And  He  would  do  this  if  it  were  possible,  though  it  re- 
quired myriads  of  years.    But  by  the  constitution  of  the 


150      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

race  this  in  unthinkable.  Religion  is  not  a  process  b^ 
which  people  are  transported  to  a  place,  but  by  which 
they  are  transformed  in  character,  and  no  man  becomes 
godly  until  he  wants  to  be  saved  with  a  wistful  eagerness 
that  counts  no  effort  too  great.  "Wilt  thou  be  made 
whole?  Rise  up  and  walk."  The  Master  calls,  but  He 
calls  in  vain,  until  the  impotent  put  forth  their  latent  en- 
ergy to  hear  His  voice  and  respond  to  His  summons. 


XIII. 
DISCOURSE  ON  LIFE— A  DEFENSE. 

CHAPTER  V.  17-47. 

In  the  four  Gospels,  or  rather  in  the  four  books  of  the 
one  Gospel,  the  apostle  St.  John  has  lifted  higher  and  far 
more  sublimely  than  the  other  three  his  proclamation,  and 
in  lifting  it  up  he  has  wished  our  hearts  also  to  be  lifted 
up. — Augustine. 

This  is  the  first  of  those  pubhc  discourses  recorded 
by  John  in  which  Jesus  defends  Himself  against  His 
accusers.  Others  of  hke  purpose  occur  in  later  chapters 
of  this  gospel.  This  one  marks  the  real  beginning  of 
that  conflict  with  the  authorities  which  only  ended  with 
the  murder  of  Jesus.  It  is  of  vast  significance.  "This 
five  minutes'  talk  with  the  Jews  contains  probably  the 
most  important  truth  ever  uttered  upon  earth."  (Dods.) 
The  discourse  falls  into  three  parts,  as  follows:  i.  Jesus 
justifies  Himself  on  the  basis  of  His  filial  relation  to  God 
the  Father.  2.  He  affirms  that  this  relation  is  attested 
by  the  witness  of  the  Father.  3.  He  exposes  the  reason 
which  leads  the  Jews  to  reject  Him. 

I.  JESUS  JUSTIFIED  BY  HIS  RELATION  TO  THE  FATHER 

(17-30). 

I.  His  Line  of  Defense  Indicated  (17,  18).  Jesus  does 
not  answer  the  charge  of  Sabbath-breaking  in  any 
direct  way,  though  He  might  have  done  so,  since 
works  of  mercy  were  allowable.  He  lays  down  His 
position  at  once  in  the  words,  "My  Father  worketh 
hitherto,  and  I  work."  His  justification  is  in  His 
unity  with  the  Father,  who  is  superior  to  His  own 
laws.  God's  rest  after  creation,  on  which  the  Sab- 
151 


152     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

bath  law  is  erected,  was  not  one  of  inactivity,  but  of 
beneficent  work,  "and  man's  true  rest  is  not  a  rest 
from  human  earthly  labor,  but  a  rest  for  divine 
heavenly  labor."  (Westcott.)  No  Sabbath  law  has 
interfered  with  God's  activity,  and  none  must  pre- 
vent the  Son's  labors  of  love.  The  Jews  were  per- 
fectly right  in  supposing  that  Christ  made  Himself 
equal  with  God,  and  hence  they  shift  the  accusation 
from  Sabbath-breaking  to  blasphemy,  and  seek  His 
destruction  more  violently. 

2.  His  Filial  Relationship  Emphasized   (19,  20).     A 

marked  characteristic  of  Christ's  various  defenses  is 
herein  illustrated.  It  is  His  habit  to  insist  on  the 
very  claims  which  provoke  assault  with  even  greater 
emphasis  than  accompanies  their  original  statement. 
The  charge  of  blasphemy  involves  antagonism  be- 
tween Him  and  God.  But  He  is  the  Son  of  God; 
therefore  no  hostility  can  exist.  He  does  what  He 
sees  the  Father  do.  He  is  constrained  by  the 
Father's  love.  Greater  works  will  result  from  this 
filial  relationship,  and  they  will  cause  still  greater 
astonishment. 

3.  His   Filial   Relationship   Proven    (21-30).     In  two 

wonderful  ways  His  essential  oneness  with  the 
Father  is  shown:  i.  By  Christ's  power  to  impart 
spiritual  life.  The  healing  of  the  impotent  man  is 
a  type  of  His  power  to  quicken  the  spiritually  im- 
potent into  life.  This  is  one  of  the  "greater  works" 
which  He  has  promised  will  cause  them  to  marvel. 
His  power  to  do  this  is  based  on  His  unity  with  the 
Father.  The  Father  has  committed  this  prerogative 
to  Him,  that  all  men  may  honor  Him.  To  refuse 
Him  is  to  refuse  the  Father ;  to  receive  Him  is  to 
obtain  eternal  life.  Many  will  hereafter  have  this 
experience;  some  have  already  attained  it  (v.  25). 
The  Son  has  this  power  in  His  own  person,  and  also 
the  authority  to  pronounce  judgment  (v.  26),  "be- 
cause He  is  the  Son  of  man,"  that  is,  having  become 
man.  He  is  endowed  with  the  two-fold  function  of 
possessing  life  in  Himself,  and  of  executing  judg- 


DISCOURSE  ON  LIFE— A  DEFENSE.        153 

ment  (v.  27.  Compare  Phil,  ii,  6-10).  2.  By  His 
power  to  raise  the  physically  dead  to  life  (28-30). 
There  will  be  a  final  resurrection  and  a  final  judg- 
ment, not  dependent  upon  the  co-operation  of  the 
human  will,  as  was  the  case  with  the  healing  of  the 
impotent  man,  but  as  the  result  of  the  Son's  com- 
mand. But  His  will  is  the  will  of  the  Father,  with- 
out whom  He  does  nothing  (v.  30).  Thus  the  de- 
fense comes  round  to  the  starting  point,  Christ's 
eternal  fellowship  with  the  Father. 

II.  THE  DIVINE  WITNESS  TO  THIS  RELATIONSHIP 

(31-40). 

1.  The  Necessity  for  This  Witness  (31,  32).    Jesus  ad- 

mits that  His  own  personal  witness  unsupported 
would  apparently  be  open  to  suspicion.  Moreover, 
if  His  witness  did  not  agree  with  that  of  the  Father 
it  could  properly  be  discredited.  But  He  knows  the 
witness  of  the  Father  to  be  in  exact  correspondence 
with  His  own  inner  consciousness  of  filial  relation- 
ship with  God  (v.  32). 

2.  Other  Witnesses  Suggested  (33-35).     The  witness 

of  John  the  Baptist  is  a  type,  and  it  is  true.  Jesus 
does  not  depend  upon  this,  or  any  other  human  wit- 
ness, but  He  mentions  it  because  it  is  probably  in 
their  minds.  While  He  does  not  rest  upon  it  for 
the  vindication  of  His  claims,  yet  He  knows  that 
they  reposed  much  confidence  in  the  Baptist,  and 
He  will  use  any  plea  which  may  be  effective  with 
them,  in  order  that  some  of  them  may  be  saved  if 
possible.  John  was  a  temporary  light  of  great  value, 
and  they  rejoiced  in  him  for  a  time,  and  he  pointed 
to  Christ. 

3.  The  Supreme  Witness — the  Father  (36-40).     The 

Father's  witness  is  made  apparent  in  several  ways. 
(i)  The  works  which  the  Father  has  sent  Him  to 
do  are  a  visible  witness  of  God's  favor.  (2)  The 
manifestation  of  God  to  their  consciences,  as  Christ 
spoke  to  them,  was  a  sufficient  witness  if  their  hearts 


154      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

had  not  been  false.  (3)  The  Scriptures,  which  tes- 
tify of  Christ,  are  a  plain  witness  for  those  who 
search  them  aright.  Despite  these  several  expres- 
sions of  God,  in  which  He  clearly  bears  witness  to 
Christ,  they  will  not  come  unto  Him  for  life. 

III.  THE  WITNESS  REJECTED  THROUGH  UNBELIEF 

(41-47). 

Unbelief  is  a  moral  state,  not  a  mere  intellectual  atti- 
tude. The  Jews  reject  Christ,  not  because  they  can  not 
believe  in  Him  on  the  strength  of  the  testimony  given, 
but  because  they  do  not  want  to  believe  in  Him.  He  does 
not  need  their  favor.  Honor  from  men  is  nothing  to 
Him,  and  He  refuses  it,  but  He  knows  that  the  love  of 
God  is  not  in  their  hearts,  and  that  this  accounts  for  their 
rejection  of  Him.  They  are  thoroughly  worldly  in  their 
ambitions.  If  He  had  suited  Himself  to  their  carnal 
mood  they  would  have  accepted  Him  with  enthusiasm, 
but  in  their  temper  they  will  not  receive  the  Son  who 
comes  in  the  name  of  the  Father.  They  are  self-con- 
demned. Moreover,  they  can  ofifer  no  defense  on  the 
ground  of  rigid  orthodoxy,  for  even  Moses,  on  whom 
they  profess  to  rely,  is  totally  against  them. 


Hymn  No.  i. 

He  speaks,  and,  listening  to  His  voice, 

New  life  the  dead  receive; 
The  mournful,  broken  hearts  rejoice; 

The  humble  poor  believe. — Charles  Wesley. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Does  Jesus  require  any  apology  in  my  heart? 

2.  Has  He  given  life  unto  me  ? 


DISCOURSE  ON  LIFE— A  DEFENSE.        155 

Life  and  Life  Again. 

"As  the  Father  hath  life  in  Himself,  so  hath  He  given 
to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  Himself." — John  v,  26. 

Corot  made  a  study  of  a  little  peasant  girl  one  year 
near  Arras.  On  his  return  some  months  later  he  learned 
that  the  child  had  been  drowned.  Carrying  his  sketch 
to  the  father  he  said,  "Here 's  your  daughter  come 
back !"  The  peasant  would  never  permit  that  portrait 
of  his  child  to  be  loaned  to  an  exhibition,  or  to  be  seen 
by  any  one  but  himself,  and  directed  in  his  will  that  it 
be  laid  on  his  heart,  to  sleep  with  him  in  the  tomb.  Even 
the  pictorial  shadow  of  life  is  precious  to  those  who  have 
been  bereft  of  their  beloved.  But  Jesus  has  promised  the 
life  again  in  defiance  of  the  utmost  Death  can  do. 

Life  can  only  be  imparted  by  Him  who  "hath  life 
in  Himself."  Jesus  came  in  the  form  of  man,  but  He 
differs  from  all  other  men  in  this  respect,  that  while 
other  men  receive  life,  He  is  life.  His  most  intimate 
friend  on  earth  said  that  "in  Him  was  life,  and  the  life 
was  the  light  of  men."  He  said  of  Himself,  "I  am  the 
way,  the  truth  and  the  life."  When  He  met  Death  dur- 
ing His  pilgrimage  through  the  world,  as  was  frequently 
His  fortune,  He  did  not  shrink  back  from  his  presence, 
as  we  do.  He  said,  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life," 
and  Death  withdrew  to  his  dark  domain.  Jesus  made 
a  daring  claim,  and  it  was  bound  to  provoke  hostile  crit- 
icism. But  the  lucidity  of  His  mind  and  the  perfection 
of  His  character  compel  us  to  believe  that  He  was  very 
sane  and  very  sincere  when  He  said,  "I  am  life."  More- 
over, He  has  demonstrated  His  authority  in  all  the  ranges 
of  what  we  call  life.  We  have  never  seen  Him  cure  the 
sick,  or  minister  to  a  mind  diseased,  or  raise  the  dead ; 
but  we  have  beheld  Him  rousing  men  sunken  in  sin  to 
the  consciousness  of  fellowship  with  God.  And  having 
witnessed  this  miracle  in  character,  we  are  convinced  that 
He  can  perform  any  lesser  marvel  which  the  exigencies 
of  human  life  may  require.  We  believe  that  He  could 
go  through  all  the  hospitals  of  the  world  and  turn  all  the 


156     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

sick  and  impotent  folk  out  with  abounding  health,  and 
that  He  could  march  through  all  the  asylums  of  the 
world  and  make  lunacy  a  forgotten  malady — for  He  is 
life.  This  power  He  showed  in  healing  the  man  at  the 
pool  of  Bethesda,  who  had  been  under  the  spell  of  an 
infirmity  for  thirty-eight  years.  And  this  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  Christ's  ability  to  impart  life  apart  from  any 
human  agency,  except  the  response  of  the  human  will, 
in  the  exercise  of  faith  in  Him. 

What  irony  there  is  in  the  attempt  of  the  Jews  to  slay 
Him  who  is  life !  The  sleuths  were  on  the  track  of 
Jesus.  They  could  not  dispute  the  cure  He  had  effected. 
The  evidence  of  it  was  in  that  man  walking  off  with  his 
mattress.  But  the  work  had  been  wrought  on  the  Sab- 
bath-day— O,  monstrous  iniquity !  One  can  fancy  these 
persecutors  to  be  quite  hilarious  in  spirit,  though  they 
conceal  their  joy  under  a  decent  solemnity  of  manner, 
for  they  have  now  discovered  an  opportunity  for  gratify- 
ing their  grudge  against  this  disturber  of  their  peace. 
They  think  more  of  the  Sabbath  than  they  do  of  human 
life.  Thanks  to  the  murderous  designs  of  these  pious 
inquisitors,  we  have  in  the  heroic  defense  which  Jesus 
now  delivers  a  thorough  exposition  of  the  ground  on 
which  He  exerts  His  authority  to  impart  life. 

It  would  have  been  an  easy  thing  for  Jesus  to  dis- 
pose of  the  accusation  that  He  had  violated  the  Sabbath 
law  by  recourse  to  the  Mosaic  code.  On  other  occasions 
when  similar  charges  were  lodged  against  Him  He  took 
this  course.  But  in  the  present  instance  He  does  not 
defend  Himself  in  this  fashion.  He  ignores  all  such 
considerations,  and  with  a  simple  thrust  strikes  at  the 
core  of  the  whole  matter  when  He  says,  "My  Father 
worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work."  The  activity  which  char- 
acterizes God  is  not  limited  by  any  narrow  Sabbath  laws 
which  have  been  passed  for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  From 
the  hour  when  His  creative  work  was  concluded,  and 
He  pronounced  it  good,  until  this  moment  He  has  not 
ceased  to  pour  Himself  out  in  the  sustaining  of  His  uni- 


DISCOURSE  ON  LIFE— A  DEFENSE.        157 

verse,  in  the  impartation  of  life  to  His  creatures,  in  the 
work  of  redemption  for  those  who  are  lost.  "My  Father 
and  I  are  one.  He  worketh  until  now,  and  I  work.  His 
will  is  Mine;  His  work  is  My  work.  At  any  moment 
I  am  ready  at  His  command  to  do  whatsoever  He  de- 
sireth." 

Instantly  the  charge  of  an  infraction  of  the  Sabbath 
law  is  dropped.  His  accusers  pass  over  the  whole  mat- 
ter, and  charge  Him  with  identifying  Himself  with  God, 
and  therefore  with  being  guilty  of  blasphemy.  Their 
instinct  was  correct,  their  motive  contemptible.  It  is  the 
assumption  on  the  part  of  Jesus  that  He  is  God,  and  that 
life  proceeds  from  Him  inevitably,  that  creates  the  sore 
place  in  the  proud  heart  of  the  unbeliever.  But  if  that 
assumption  is  not  justified  it  will  be  difficult  to  find  any 
truth  in  the  New  Testament  that  one  need  proclaim  with 
urgency. 

Passing  now  from  this  general  statement  of  the  basis 
on  which  He  has  assumed  authority  to  impart  life  to 
men,  Jesus  bursts  forth,  first,  into  a  general  statement  of 
His  divine  right  to  raise  the  dead  and  judge  them,  and 
then  to  a  more  particular  statement,  in  a  concrete  and 
explicit  form,  of  His  rights  in  the  moral  and  external 
domains  now  and  forever  with  relation  to  the  destiny  of 
mankind.  He  virtually  says  to  these  accusers,  "You  pro- 
fess to  be  scandalized  because  I  am  supposed  to  have 
violated  the  Sabbath  laws,  and  because  I  have  claimed 
to  be  divine  in  My  own  person ;  what  will  you  say  when 
I  tell  you  that  all  power  is  Mine?  that  I  am  the  judge 
of  the  quick  and  the  dead,  and  that  by  My  own  voice 
I  shall  call  men  from  the  tomb,  and  in  the  end  shall  be 
the  final  and  absolute  arbiter  of  the  destinies  of  human 
beings?  For,  as  the  Father  raiseth  up  the  dead  and 
quickeneth  them,  even  so  the  Son  quickeneth  whom  He 
will." 

When  the  good  grandmother  of  Millet  found  that  the 
artist  had  gone  to  the  limit  of  propriety  in  certain  of  his 
paintings,  she  wrote  to  him  not  in  severe  censure,  but 
with  gentle  wisdom,  "Follow  the  example  of  that  man 


158     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

of  your  own  profession  who  used  to  say,  'I  paint  for 
eternity!'  For  no  cause  whatever  permit  yourself  to  do 
evil  works,  or  to  lose  sight  of  the  presence  of  God.  With 
St.  Jerome  think  incessantly  that  you  hear  the  trumpet 
that  shall  summon  us  to  judgment." 

This  godly  admonition  harmonizes  with  the  facts  of 
life.  For  Jesus  has  made  it  plain  that  judgment  is  con- 
stantly confronting  us.  'The  Father  judgeth  no  man, 
but  hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son :  that  all 
men  should  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father. 
He  that  honoreth  not  the  Son  honoreth  not  the  Father 
which  hath  sent  Him.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you, 
he  that  heareth  My  word  and  believeth  on  Him  that  sent 
Me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into  con- 
demnation, but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you  the  hour  is  coming,  and  now  is, 
when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ; 
and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 

These  words  evidently  refer  to  the  offer  of  spiritual 
life.  And  men  are  judged  by  their  manner  of  receiving 
the  proposal  of  Jesus  to  impart  life  to  them.  The  im- 
potent man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda  was  judged  in  this 
fashion.  Had  he  refused  the  command  of  Jesus  to  rise, 
up  and  walk,  he  would  have  continued  in  helplessness, 
and  his  condemnation  would  have  been  written  in  his 
persistent  infirmity.  Having  responded  to  the  call  of 
Jesus,  he  rose  to  renewed  life  and  escaped  condemna- 
tion. In  this  way  he  was  self-judged.  And  this  is  the 
solemn  fact  with  regard  to  all  men.  Said  John  LaFarge, 
"We  do  not  judge  a  work  of  art ;  it  judges  us."  In  the 
presence  of  Jesus  Christ,  men  are  compelled  to  pass 
judgment  upon  themselves.  Their  attitude  toward  Him 
and  His  offer  of  eternal  life  determines  their  characters ; 
and  the  judgment  of  the  hereafter  will  base  itself  upon 
the  position  they  occupied  relative  to  Him  in  this  pro- 
bationary sphere. 

On  a  plain  tablet  inserted  in  the  wall  of  St.  Giles, 
Cripplegate,  London,  the  traveler  may  read  these  words, 
which  compose  the  concluding  line  in  the  epitaph  of  the 


DISCOURSE  ON  LIFE— A  DEFENSE.        159 

Rev.  John  Foxe,  "Vita  vitce  mortalis  est  spes  vitcB  im- 
mortalis" — "The  hope  of  immortal  life  is  the  life  of 
mortal  life."  Surely  this  odd  Latin  inscription  carries 
a  glorious  truth.  Human  life  loses  its  cheer  when  the 
hope  of  immortality  vanishes. 

Twenty  years  before  his  death  Kingsley  was  speaking 
of  that  great  change  to  which  all  flesh  is  appointed,  and 
said,  "God  forgive  me  if  I  am  wrong,  but  I  look  forward 
to  it  with  an  intense  and  reverent  curiosity."  That  was 
the  sentiment  of  a  man  interested  in  all  that  science 
could  teach  him  concerning  life,  and  eager  for  all  that 
religion  could  reveal  to  him  regarding  the  future. 

But  where  shall  we  find  the  stable  foundation  for  our 
belief  in  immortality — that  hope  of  our  mortal  life  ?  How 
can  we  be  assured  that  our  "reverent  curiosity"  about 
the  things  after  death  shall  ever  be  satisfied  ?  Jesus  gives 
reply,  as  He  addresses  Himself  to  the  great  question  of 
the  resurrection.  He  does  not  say  that  He  is  now  call- 
ing the  dead  from  the  tomb,  but  that  "the  hour  is  com- 
ing, in  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  His 
voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good, 
unto  the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that  have  done 
evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation."  This  is  the 
supreme,  the  only  satisfactory  and  complete  argument  in 
favor  of  a  future  life.  Naturally  immortality  is  regarded 
by  many  persons  an  unprovable  hypothesis ;  it  may  be- 
long to  us  as  our  birth-right,  but  the  Bible  does  not  say 
so  in  unmistakable  terms.  And  the  argument  from  anal- 
ogy falls  to  pieces  in  the  presence  of  the  severest  scien- 
tific investigation  of  our  day.  No  man  who  stands  by 
the  bedside  of  a  dying  friend  and  observes  the  process 
of  dissolution  can  see  anything  in  the  physical  phenomena 
of  man's  death  that  differentiates  it  from  the  death  of 
an  animal.  Without  the  resurrection  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  there  is  no  absolute 
foundation  upon  which  one  can  rest  a  hope  of  the  future 
life.  Plato  may  "reason  well ;"  so  well  that  some  of  his 
disciples  are  persuaded  to  commit  suicide  in  order  to 
reach  a  life  of  bliss ;  but  there  is  no  argument  from  the 
day  of  Plato  to  our  own  that  can  support  the  soul  that 


160      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

questions  the  fact  of  a  future  life.  The  only  sure  foun- 
dation of  such  a  hope  is  the  personal  guarantee  of  Him 
who  is  "Life,"  who  shall  some  day  send  His  voice  thrill- 
ing through  the  world  and  call  the  just  and  unjust  out 
of  the  tomb  to  receive  judgment. 

But  this  promise  cuts  in  opposite  directions.  It  says 
that  the  unjust,  as  well  as  the  just,  shall  come  at  Christ's 
command.  There  is  no  escaping  His  summons. 
"Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  spirit?  or  whither  shall 
I  flee  from  Thy  presence?  If  I  ascend  up  into  heaven, 
Thou  art  there;  if  I  make  my  bed  in  hell,  behold  Thou 
art  there.  If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  morning,  and  dwell 
in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea ;  even  there  shall  Thy 
hand  lead  me,  and  Thy  right  hand  shall  hold  me.  If  I 
say,  'Surely  the  darkness  shall  cover  me,'  even  the  night 
shall  be  light  about  me.  Yea  the  darkness  hideth  not 
from  Thee,  but  the  night  shineth  as  the  day."  There 
is  no  escape  from  Him  except  escape  in  Him.  Martin 
Luther  said,  "If  I  saw  Jesus  Christ  standing  before  me 
with  a  drawn  sword,  I  would  still  fling  myself  into  His 
arms."  "Ye  will  not  come  unto  Me  that  you  might  have 
life,"  is  the  sad  plaint  of  the  Master  of  Life  and  Con- 
queror of  Death.  Jesus  is  the  life,  the  resurrection,  the 
only  hope  of  eternal  life,  the  judge  of  the  quick  and  the 
dead,  the  apportioner  of  the  rewards  of  the  men  who 
have  been  hearers  of  His  voice  and  have  known  His  love, 
the  distributor  of  recompense  to  those  who  in  deep, 
moral  insensibility  have  refused  to  hear  His  voice  and 
have  chosen  death  instead  of  life. 

The  destiny  of  the  human  race  centers  in  Jesus  Christ. 
But  it  could  not  rest  in  gentler  hands  than  those  which 
were  pierced  for  man's  redemption. 


XIV. 
SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE. 

CHAPTER  VI.  1-21. 

Above  all  do  I  like  to  read  the  Gospel  of  John. 

— Claudius. 

Once:  again  we  observe  how  John's  artistic  instinct 
guides  him  to  place  over  against  one  another  two  inci- 
dents in  the  life  of  Jesus  which  are  alike  and  yet  unlike. 
We  have  here  a  miracle  on  the  land  and  a  miracle  on  the 
water.  In  the  former  Christ  is  portrayed  as  the  support 
of  life ;  in  the  latter  as  the  guide  of  men.  In  one  He  is 
described  as  enabling  His  disciples  to  meet  an  emergency 
with  the  multitude  which  has  been  occasioned  by  His 
presence ;  in  the  other  as  assisting  them  in  a  difficulty 
which  has  arisen  during  His  absence.  In  the  first  case 
He  helps  them  to  help  others ;  in  the  second  to  help  them- 
selves. 

I.  THE  FIRST  SIGN— FEEDING  THE   MULTITUDE  (1-15). 

This  incident,  coming  close  upon  the  one  narrated  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  illustrates  the  fact  that  John  makes 
no  attempt  to  preserve  a  precise  chronological  order. 
There  are  many  such  gaps  in  his  record.  He  is  not 
writing  a  biography,  but  presenting  a  series  of  charac- 
teristic scenes  in  the  life  of  Jesus  which  he  deems  suit- 
able for  his  purpose,  as  declared  in  xx,  31.  Frequently 
he  selects  material  not  employed  by  any  of  the  other 
evangelists,  but  here,  and  elsewhere  occasionally,  he  uses 
in  his  own  way  and  for  his  own  ends  what  others  have 
recorded.  This  is  the  only  instance  of  a  miracle  nar- 
rated by  all  four  of  the  evangelists.  Compare,  for  de- 
tails omitted  here,  Matt,  xiv,  13-21;  Mark  vi,  30-44; 
II  161 


162     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Luke  ix,  10-17.  This  is  indeed  the  only  incident  of  any 
kind  in  the  hfe  of  Jesus  before  His  final  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem, which  is  set  down  by  all  of  the  gospel  writers. 
As  Jesus  had  shown  to  the  Samaritans  and  to  the  people 
of  Jerusalem,  so  now  to  the  Galileans  He  would  dem.on- 
strate  that  He  was  the  giver  of  eternal  life.  The  story 
of  the  Feeding  is  the  text  for  the  discourse  on  the  bread 
of  life,  which  is  given  in  the  same  chapter. 

1.  The  Occasion  of  the  Miracle  (1-4).    Jesus  has  with- 

drawn to  the  eastern  shore  of  Tiberias,  by  which 
name  the  Sea  of  Galilee  was  known  to  classical 
writers,  a  designation  used  by  John  alone  in  the 
New  Testament,  in  order  that  He  might  secure  rest. 
He  had  arrived  at  a  place  called  Bethsaida  Julias 
(Luke  ix,  10).  The  feast  of  the  Passover  was  near, 
a  fact  which  both  gave  point  to  the  miracle  and  also 
accounted  for  the  increased  multitude  which  pressed 
upon  Him.  Hosts  of  people  v/ere  on  their  way  to 
Jerusalem,  many  of  whom  joined  themselves  to  the 
crowd  which  had  followed  Jesus  around  the  head  of 
the  lake,  eager  to  witness  further  m.iracles.  Jesus 
had  retired  to  a  mountain  with  His  disciples,  but 
His  retreat  was  incapable  of  concealing  Him..  In- 
stead of  resenting  the  intrusion  of  the  mob,  His  sym- 
pathies were  awakened  for  the  weary  and  hungry 
host. 

2.  The  Embarrassment  of  the  Disciples   (5-9).     The 

narrative  is  plainly  that  of  an  eye-witness.  Philip 
is  tested  by  the  question,  "Whence  shall  we  buy 
bread?"  This  betrays  no  anxiety  on  the  part  of 
Jesus,  John  explains  in  a  parenthesis,  but  is  a  good 
question  to  stir  up  a  practical  man  like  Philip,  and 
show  him  his  dependence  upon  a  higher  power. 
Philip's  perplexity.  The  money  required  for  such 
an  expenditure  is  too  great  a  demand  for  him.  An- 
drew's suggestion.  The  lad  with  the  barley  loaves 
and  the  little  fishes.  The  supply  is  inadequate  for 
the  demand. 


SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  163 

3.  Christ's  Mastery  of  the  Situation  (10-13).    He  first 

employs  the  means  at  hand.  He  insists  upon  a  sys- 
tematic arrangement  of  the  five  thousand  benefic- 
iaries. He  pronounces  a  blessing  upon  the  meager 
resources  at  their  com.mand.  He  calls  the  disciples 
into  requisition  as  helpers.  He  satisfies  all.  He 
teaches  a  lesson  in  ecomony  by  requiring  the  frag- 
ments to  "be  preserved  (a  feature  of  the  story  which 
we  can  scarcely  fancy  would  be  invented).  He 
shows  the  fullness  of  His  bounty  by  the  excess  of 
supply  over  demand. 

4.  The  Immediate  Effect  of  the  Miracle  (14,  15).    The 

populace  were  persuaded  that  Christ  was  the  greater 
prophet  than  Moses  which  had  been  predicted,  and 
were  determined  forthwith  to  carry  Him  away  to 
Jerusalem  and  crown  Him  their  king  at  the  Pass- 
over. Expecting  a  material  kingdom,  they  were  not 
yet  capable  of  the  true  spiritual  conception  of  the 
Messiah  which  Jesus  was  to  teach  them.  Jesus  must 
therefore  reject  their  earthly  undertaking,  and  hav- 
ing come  down  from  the  mountain  toward  the  shore 
in  order  to  perform  this  miracle,  He  now  withdrew 
again  to  a  mountain,  this  time  to  be  entirely  alone. 
Even  His  disciples,  who  m.ight  naturally  be  expected 
to  share  the  expectations  and  ambitions  of  the  peo- 
ple, were  not  permitted  to  accompany  Him. 

II.  THE  SECOND  SIGN— WALKING  ON  THE  WATER 

(16-21). 

This  incident  is  also  related  in  Matt,  xiv,  22-33,  where 
it  is  said  that  Jesus  "constrained  His  disciples  to  get  into 
a  ship,  and  to  go  before  Him  unto  the  other  side,"  and 
in  Mark  vi,  45-52.  In  both  places  other  details  omitted 
here  are  recorded. 

I.  On  the  Sea  Without  Christ  (16-19).  At  evening 
time  they  put  forth  to  reach  Capernaum.  Darkness 
comes  down  upon  them,  and  the  Master  is  absent. 
A  storm  sweeps  down  upon  them  with  the  sudden- 
ness which  travelers  testify  is  common  in  that  region. 


164      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

They  are  in  great  peril  when  they  have  gone  abo*t 
half  way  across  the  lake.    Then  Jesus  appears. 

2.  On  the  Sea  With  Christ  (19-21).  It  is  in  the  fourth 
watch,  as  Mark  records,  that  is,  somewhere  between 
three  and  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  they 
descry  Jesus  in  the  dim  light  of  the  approaching 
day.  At  first  they  are  terrified.  But  the  Master  dis- 
pels their  fears.  He  is  not  a  phantom,  but  their 
great  helper.  Matthew  inserts  the  episode  of  Peter 
attempting  to  walk  on  the  sea.  The  other  evangel- 
ists omit  it.  When  they  received  Jesus  into  the  boat 
their  troubles  were  at  an  end.  The  winds  ceased, 
the  waves  subsided,  and  they  were  brought  to  their 
desired  haven. 


Hymn  No.  482. 

Jesus,  Savior,  pilot  me 
Over  life's  tempestuous  sea; 
Unknown  waves  before  me  roll, 
Hiding  rock  and  treacherous  shoal ; 
Chart  and  compass  came  from  Thee; 
Jesus,  Savior,  pilot  me. — Edward  Hopper. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  placed  Jesus  at  the  head  of  my  table? 

2.  Have  I  admitted  Christ  into  my  boat? 


Caring  for  the  Crowd. 

"Two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread  is  not  sufficient 
for  them,  that  every  one  of  them  may  take  a  little." 

—John  vi,  7. 

This  miracle  is  also  a  parable.  If  it  were  not,  John 
might  not  have  taken  the  trouble  to  record  it,  for  he 
was  always  most  concerned  for  the  spiritual  significance 


SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  165 

of  Christ's  deeds.  Jesus  did  enough  other  extraordinary 
things  which  prove  His  lordship  over  nature  and  His 
compassion  for  humanity  to  make  this  unnecessary,  if 
there  were  nothing  in  it  but  the  fact  of  satisfying  the 
hunger  of  the  crowd.  The  Master  Himself  certainly  at- 
tached a  profoimder  meaning  to  it,  for  He  made  it  the 
basis  of  a  very  wonderful  discourse  on  the  Bread  of 
Life.  Many  inspiring  suggestions  lie  below  the  surface 
of  this  narrative  which  the  thoughtful  reader  will  readily 
discover.    Among  these  the  following  appear. 


Whenever  an  emergency  arises  in  the  work  of  Christ's 
disciples,  money  is  not  a  consideration  of  the  first  im- 
portance, if  Jesus  is  in  the  company.  Philip  apparently 
did  not  understand  this.  Modern  disciples  frequently 
show  a  similar  lack  of  intelligence.  Philip  said  in  ef- 
fect, "If  we  had  plenty  of  money  we  could  easily  meet 
this  emergency."  He  cast  his  calculating  eye  over  the 
crowd  swarming  up  the  mountain  side,  panting,  tired, 
and  hungry,  and,  quickly  estimating  what  it  would  cost 
to  feed  this  multitude,  he  said  within  himself,  'This  is 
an  occasion  when  a  well-filled  wallet  would  be  a  positive 
convenience."  The  financial  aspects  of  the  problem  were 
uppermost  in  his  mind.  Twentieth  century  Christians 
betray  the  same  kind  of  solicitude.  They  recognize  that 
it  is  the  peculiar  work  of  the  Church  to  provide  what 
the  tired,  panting,  exhausted  world  requires.  They  fancy 
that  an  abundance  of  money  would  afford  the  perfect 
solution  of  the  difficulties  which  embarrass  them.  In 
this  impression  they  are  sadly  astray. 

Service  is  really  the  consideration  of  first  importance 
— a  man  ready  to  act,  and  possessing  qualities  which 
equip  him  for  action.  A  man  of  distinction  once  de- 
clared that,  if  he  had  a  fortune,  he  would  station  a 
Christian  preacher  in  every  great  center  of  the  world's 
population  and  command  him  to  tell  the  story  of  the 
Cross  to  the  surging  crowds.  If  this  transaction  were 
effected,  the  important  element  in  it  would  be  the  men 
who  were  selected  for  this  great  work,  and  not  the  money 


166     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

paid  to  them.  It  is  conceivable  that  an  army  of  men 
might  enHst  for  such  a  service  who  would  be  unqualified 
to  fulfill  its  sublime  requirements.  It  is  the  happy  habit 
of  millionaires  in  our  day  to  bestow  great  sums  of  money 
upon  institutions  of  learning  to  erect  buildings  and  to 
endow  scholastic  chairs,  but  in  every  such  case  the  thing 
of  prime  importance  is  that  the  men  who  occupy  these 
chairs  and  teach  in  these  buildings  shall  be  endowed  with 
qualifications  necessary  for  their  great  business.  It  is 
conceivable  that  a  vast  body  of  men  might  be  subsidized 
to  assume  these  positions  who  would  not  adequately  fulfill 
the  obligations  laid  upon  them. 

Service  has  no  real  financial  equivalent.  When  the 
salary  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  was  doubled 
a  few  years  ago,  it  was  not  with  expectation  of  getting 
twice  as  much  work  out  of  him  as  had  heretofore  been 
exacted.  His  value  to  the  country  depends  not  upon 
his  actual  income,  but  upon  his  personal  qualities. 

We  often  place  too  high  an  estimate  upon  the  pur- 
chasing power  of  money.  It  can  not  buy  happiness,  or 
health,  or  wisdom,  or  character.  In  can  not  secure  di- 
vine approval  or  human  favor.  The  epitaph  written  for 
Epictetus  ran  as  follows :  "I  was  Epictetus,  a  slave,  and 
maimed  in  body,  and  a  beggar  for  poverty,  and  dear  to 
the  immortals."  The  body  of  Epictetus  could  be  bought, 
but  his  mind  could  not  be  enslaved,  and  his  soul  was 
absolutely  free.  Character  is  the  supreme  asset  of  life, 
and  character  is  the  final  qualification  for  service. 

The  best  things  in  human  history  have  been  achieved 
without  money.  Jesus  had  no  income,  but  His  output 
was  enormous.  Hardly  anybody  in  Nazareth  was  poorer 
than  He  was,  but  Caesar  on  his  throne  was  not  more  mu- 
nificent in  gifts.  When  the  apostles  were  just  embark- 
ing on  an  enterprise  which  was  to  shake  the  world,  they 
were  forced  to  tell  a  beggar  that  they  had  neither  silver 
nor  gold.  At  a  time  when  he  was  writing  documents 
which  would  influence  the  literature  of  all  the  following 
centuries,  and  was  doing  work  which  v\'Ould  affect  all 
modern  civilization,  Paul  was  compelled  to  keep  body 
and  soul  together  by  stitching  tent-cloth.     Some  of  the 


SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.         167 

greatest  monuments  of  literary  genius  have  been  the  pro- 
ductions of  men  reduced  to  abject  poverty.  They  sold 
their  books  to  buy  bread,  but  the  world  did  not  contain 
money  enough  to  purchase  their  intellects. 

What  Philip  needed  was  not  money,  but  a  sense  of 
obligation  strong  enough  to  enable  him  to  see  his  imme- 
diate duty.  The  thing  required  was  not  to  send  the  peo- 
ple away,  but  to  send  them  away  filled.  The  question 
was  not  how  to  get  rid  of  a  hard  situation,  but  how  to 
meet  it  adequately.  The  readiness  to  serve  is  the  first 
requisite,  and  if  Jesus  is  in  the  company  the  ability  to 
serve  will  follow. 

Nevertheless,  if  financial  expenditure  should  prove  to 
be  the  method  of  meeting  any  emergency  arising  in  the 
work  of  Christ's  disciples,  it  must  be  employed,  if  Jesus 
is  in  the  company.  Perhaps  Philip  would  have  balked 
at  this  proposition.  One  can  fancy  him  saying,  "We  can 
not  afford  to  spend  thirty-five  dollars  on  bread  for  this 
mob."  Probably  that  would  have  bankrupted  the  entire 
company.  If  every  wallet  in  their  possession  had  been 
emptied  it  might  not  have  reached  two  hundred  denarii ; 
but  if  they  had  this  amount  in  their  possession,  and  Jesus 
required  it,  there  would  be  no  room  for  controversy. 
His  command  is,  "Give  ye  them  to  eat."  The  cost  of 
answering  this  draft  is  not  to  be  counted.  The  point  is 
that  with  Christ's  compassion  on  the  multitude  there  was 
nothing  to  do  short  of  feeding  the  whole  mass. 

The  amount  of  help  we  give  to  the  miserable  is  ex- 
actly proportioned  to  the  amount  of  genuine  compassion 
we  have.  Some  people  are  more  liberal  in  their  opinions 
than  they  are  in  their  contributions.  A  sentiment  of  pity 
is  of  no  value  unless  it  is  transmuted  into  an  act  of 
mercy.  Not  only  is  it  fruitless  so  far  as  the  object  of 
compassion  is  concerned,  but  it  is  positively  injurious 
to  the  man  v\^ho  expresses  it  in  mere  words  of  sympathy. 
You  have  felt  on  shipboard  the  disagreeable  sensation 
produced  when  the  screw  of  the  vessel  has  been  flung  out 
of  the  water  by  the  heaving  of  the  sea.    Released  from 


168      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

the  resistance  of  the  water,  the  propeller  spins  around 
with  incredible  rapidity,  making  the  ship  tremble  as 
though  smitten  by  some  terrible  blow.  The  wear  upon 
the  machinery  in  such  an  event  is  doubtless  more  severe 
than  would  be  effected  by  numberless  revolutions  in  the 
ordinary  way.  So  compassion  expended  in  mere  senti- 
mental words,  and  finding  no  expression  in  practical 
deeds,  will  shake  the  whole  moral  fabric  of  a  man  and 
inflict  permanent  injury  upon  his  soul. 

At  a  Christmas  celebration  on  the  west  coast  of  Af- 
rica a  few  years  ago,  when  converted  natives  brought  of 
their  meager  possessions  to  show  their  devotion  to  Christ, 
a  young  girl  only  recently  saved  from  paganism  brought 
a  silver  coin  worth  about  eighty-five  cents,  and  handed 
this  to  the  missionary  as  her  gift  to  the  Savior.  The 
good  man  was  astounded  at  the  size  of  the  offering,  and 
hesitated  to  accept  it,  supposing  it  must  have  been  ob- 
tained dishonestly ;  but  when  he  delicately  asked  for  an 
explanation  of  this  lavish  gift,  the  convert  told  him  that 
she  had  gone  to  a  neighboring  planter  and  bound  herself 
out  to  him  as  a  slave  for  the  rest  of  her  life  for  this  coin. 
Thus  she  brought  the  whole  monetary  equivalent  of  her 
life  and  placed  it  as  a  single  gift  at  the  feet  of  her  Lord. 
That  is  the  kind  of  consecration  which  Jesus  expects 
of  those  who  have  sworn  eternal  fealty  to  Him.  It  is  not 
our  duty  to  enslave  ourselves  to  any  human  master.  It 
is  our  rare  privilege  to  dedicate  ourselves  and  our  sub- 
stance entirely  to  our  Lord. 

In  meeting  an  emergency  which  may  arise  in  the 
work  of  Christ's  disciples,  calculations  are  not  to  be 
based  on  the  extent  of  one's  personal  resources,  if  Jesus 
is  in  the  company.  Andrew  evidently  did  not  realize 
this.  He  suggests  that  the  boy  with  the  five  barley  loaves 
and  the  two  small  fishes  can  be  induced  to  part  with  his 
store,  but  he  asks,  "What  are  these  among  so  many?" 
The  response  of  Jesus  is,  "Give  ye  them  to  eat ;  ye  have 
not  reckoned  with  Me."  In  the  presence  of  that  throng 
the  paltry  biscuits  and  insignificant  fishes  were  not  worth 


SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE.  169 

mentioning.  But  Jesus  was  worth  mentioning.  When 
Antigonus  was  about  to  enter  a  great  sea  fight  with  the 
armada  of  Ptolemy,  and  his  pilot  saw  with  consternation 
the  vast  array  before  him,  he  cried  out  with  dismay,  "See 
how  many  more  than  ourselves  are  against  us !"  but 
Antigonus  replied,  "It  is  true  that  if  you  count  numbers 
they  exceed  us,  but  how  much  value  do  you  place 
upon  me  ?" 

The  Church  frequently  says.  "We  suffer  great  limi- 
tations ;  we  are  badly  located,  our  environment  is  un- 
favorable, our  outlook  is  unpromising ;  circumstances  are 
against  us ;  no  adequate  funds  are  in  our  treasury ;  our 
loaves  and  fishes  are  absurdly  inadequate."  But  all  the 
time  Jesus  is  virtually  saying,  "You  may  have  no  money, 
and  you  may  have  no  commissary  department,  but  you 
have  ME." 

There  is,  in  fact,  no  emergency  arising  in  the  work 
of  Christ's  disciples  that  has  not  been  anticipated,  if 
Jesus  is  in  the  company.  The  record  says  that  He  asked 
Philip  about  the  possibility  of  buying  food  for  this  crowd 
in  order  to  prove  His  disciple,  and  not  to  satisfy  His  own 
mind,  for  "He  Himself  knew  what  He  would  do."  Man's 
embarrassment  is  Christ's  convenience.  "Send  them 
away,"  said  the  disciples ;  "Make  the  men  sit  down," 
said  Jesus.  The  preparedness  of  Jesus  is  one  of  His 
most  striking  peculiarities.  He  knew  what  He  would  do 
when  He  looked  out  upon  this  great  multitude.  He  knew 
that  under  His  guiding  providence  the  loaves  and  the 
fishes  would  be  multiplied  into  a  sufficient  feast  for  all. 
He  knew  what  He  would  do  when  His  terror-stricken 
disciples  called  Him  from  His  sleeping  posture  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat  tossed  by  the  turbulent  waves  of  the 
sea.  He  knew  that  He  would  stand  out  upon  the  prow 
of  the  staggering  craft  and  send  His  voice  out  o'er  the 
boiling  waters,  and  calm  the  waves,  and  quiet  the  winds. 
He  knew  what  He  would  do  when  He  was  informed 
that  His  friend  Lazarus  had  died.  He  knew  that  He 
would  stand  before  His  rock-hewn  sepulcher,  and  bid 


170      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

the  man  come  forth,  and  would  receive  Him  anew  into 
joyous  fellowship.  He  knew  what  He  would  do  when 
men  had  cruelly  slain  Him  upon  the  cross,  and  loving 
hands  had  placed  Him  in  the  tomb.  He  knew  that  He 
would  break  the  bars  of  death,  and  stand  forth  to  greet 
the  rising  sun  and  to  receive  the  acclaim  of  the  faithful 
as  King  of  men.  He  knew  what  He  would  do  when  the 
persecution  following  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen  threat- 
ened to  devastate  the  infant  Church.  He  knew  He 
would  scatter  His  followers  everywhere  throughout  the 
Roman  Empire  and  ultimately  conquer  it  to  the  remotest 
bound.  He  knew  what  He  would  do  when  for  two  hun- 
dred years  the  arms  of  paganism  were  turned  against 
His  followers.  He  knew  that  He  would  raise  up  men 
of  culture  and  wisdom  who  would  turn  the  very  weapons 
of  heathen  philosophy  against  His  relentless  foes,  smiting 
them  hip  and  thigh,  and  making  the  wrath  of  man  to 
praise  Him.  He  knew  what  He  would  do  when  gross 
darkness  brooded  o'er  the  face  of  the  Church  in  the 
Middle  Ages.  He  knew  He  would  summon  such  men 
as  Huss,  Wyclif,  and  Tyndale  to  unlock  the  treasures 
of  the  divine  wisdom  and  bring  the  light  of  truth  upon 
the  minds  of  men.  He  knew  what  He  would  do  when 
in  later  centuries  error  and  superstition  had  crept  into 
the  teachings  of  His  recreant  ministers.  He  knew  He 
would  call  out  such  champions  of  the  faith  as  Luther, 
Zwingli,  and  Calvin,  who  would  propagate  anew  the  for- 
gotten doctrine  of  salvation  by  faith  in  His  name.  He 
knew  what  He  would  do  when  in  the  eighteenth  century 
the  religious  life  of  the  English  people  had  been  sapped 
by  rationalism  in  literature,  unfaithfulness  in  the  min- 
istry, and  lax  morals  in  the  Church.  He  knew  He 
would  call  out  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys,  and  the  noble 
host  of  their  associates,  Avho  would  preach  evangelical 
religion  throughout  the  dominions  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
civilization,  and  summon  the  Church  to  more  earnest 
endeavor  than  had  ever  blest  mankind.  He  knew  what 
He  would  do  when  French  infidelity  had  poisoned  insti- 
tutions of  learning  in  America  and  had  secured  for  its 
advocates  some  of  the  most  eminent  men  in  the  nation. 


SIGNS  AT  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE  171 

He  knew  that  by  the  revival  of  pure  and  undefiled  re- 
h'gion,  through  the  preaching  of  flaming  evangeHsts,  He 
would  revolutionize  the  civic,  social,  and  moral  condition 
of  the  whole  American  people.  He  knows  now  what  He 
will  do  when  His  Church  is  confronted  b}'  serious  and 
apparently  unhopeful  conditions,  which  bilious-minded 
critics  are  prone  to  regard  as  incurable.  He  will  gird 
Himself  and  meet  the  issues  with  omnipotent  energy,  and 
show  Himself  triumphant  over  every  opposing  force. 

It  is  ours  to  remember  that  loyalty  to  Him  demands 
our  perfect  submission  to  His  will.  If  the  means  at  our 
disposal  are  placed  under  His  control  they  will  be  indefi- 
nitely multiplied  under  the  power  of  His  beneficent  pur- 
pose. We  do  not  know  whether  the  food  used  to  refresh 
the  throng  was  multiplied  in  the  hands  of  Jesus  when 
He  blessed  it,  or  in  the  hands  of  the  disciples  when  they 
delivered  it,  or  in  the  hands  of  the  crowd  when  they 
received  it ;  but  it  was  multiplied.  That  is  the  fact  of 
significance.  We  do  not  know  whether  our  money  be- 
gins to  grow  when  the  minister  prays  over  it,  or  when 
the  officials  of  the  Church  begin  to  distribute  it,  or  when 
the  beneficiaries  of  our  bounty  receive  it ;  but  it  does 
grow  under  some  subtle  law  of  Divine  Providence,  If 
we  yield  our  all  to  Him,  it  is  His  purpose  to  increase 
our  store  until  it  becomes  sufficient  to  meet  every  de- 
mand made  upon  it. 

Whittier,  in  one  of  his  most  beautiful  poems,  de- 
scribes the  Abbot  of  a  monastery  kneeling  at  the  foot 
of  the  altar  absorbed  in  prayer.  His  devotions  are  dis- 
turbed by  a  sound  outside  the  walls,  which  seems  like 
the  wail  of  a  lost  soul.  Looking  from  the  casement,  he 
sees  a  wretched  woman,  her  white  hair  flowing  in  the 
wind,  her  face  distorted  with  agony,  her  wrinkled  hands 
clasped  in  pathetic  appeal,  crying  for  alms.  Her  first- 
born son  is  enslaved  to  the  Moors.  She  begs  for  money 
for  his  redemption.  The  Abbot's  soul  is  moved  with 
compassion.  "What  I  can,  I  give — my  prayers,"  he  re- 
plies. But  the  woman  implores  him  not  to  mock  her  suf- 
fering. It  is  not  prayers,  but  gold,  she  craves.  Even 
while  she  speaks  perhaps  her  first-born  is  dying.    Then 


172      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

the  Abbot  tells  her  that  the  monks  are  forever  giving, 
and  therefore  have  nothing.  The  woman  cries:  "Give 
me  the  silver  candlesticks  on  either  side  of  the  great 
crucifix !"  Then  the  Abbot,  acknowledging  that  God 
loves  mercy  more  than  sacrifice,  with  trembling  hands, 
takes  down  the  silver  candlesticks  and  places  them  within 
the  beggar's  palms. 

"And  as  she  vanished  down  the  linden  shade. 
He  bowed  his  head  and  for  forgiveness  prayed. 

So  the  day  passed,  and  when  the  twilight  came. 
He  woke  to  find  the  chapel  all  aflame, 
And,  dumb  with  grateful  wonder,  to  behold 
Upon  the  altar  candlesticks  of  gold." 

Jesus  asks  not  only  your  gold  and  silver,  bearing  the 
superscription  of  the  nation  you  serve,  but  the  gold  and 
silver  of  your  intelligence,  your  social  position,  your  in- 
tellectual ability,  your  refined  character.  And,  if,  with 
perfect  consecration,  you  yield  to  His  compassionate 
spirit,  He  will  doubtless  multiply  your  power  and  in- 
fluence as  wondrously  as  He  multiplied  the  loaves  and 
fishes  by  the  shore  of  sacred  Galilee. 


XV. 
DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE. 

CHAPTER  VI.  22-71. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Word  made  flesh  shows  us  God 
uniting  Himself  most  intimate;y  with  our  nature,  mani- 
festing Himself  in  a  human  form,  for  the  very  end  of 
making  us  partners  of  His  own  perfection. — Charming. 

The  people  had  wished  to  make  Jesus  a  king.  He 
had  escaped  first  by  retiring  to  a  mountain  solitude,  and 
then  by  passing  over  the  lake  to  the  western  shore,  evi- 
dently not  far  from  Capernaum.  Hither  with  some  diffi- 
culty many  of  those  who  had  witnessed  His  feeding  of 
the  multitude  followed  Him.     (22-25.) 

I.  DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE  (26-59). 

This  deliverance  falls  into  three  divisions  or  conver- 
sations: a.  Verses  26-40;  b.  Verses  41-51;  c.  Verses 
52-59. 

I.  First  Conversation  (26-40). 

Question:  How  is  life  sustained? 
Answer :  The  Son  of  man  gives  life. 

(i)  The  Mistaken  Quest  of  Life  (26,  27).  Introduced 
by  a  simple  appeal:  "When  camest  thou  hither?" 
Response  of  Jesus  equivalent  to  saying,  "You  do  not 
seek  Me  but  what  you  can  obtain  from  Me,  and  your 
desires  are  material,  not  spiritual."  Insight  of  Jesus. 
False  aims  in  modern  seekers  after  Christ.  Work 
for  imperishable  food.  This  the  Son  of  man  will 
provide.  He  has  been  authorized  to  do  so,  and  His 
mission  has  been  approved  by  many  wonderful  signs, 
173 


174      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

(2)  The  True  Way  to  Life  (28,  29).  Belief  in  the  Son 
of  man.  Introduced  by  the  question,  "What  shall 
we  do,  that  we  might  work  the  works  of  God?" 

(3)  The  Proof  of  this  Process  (30-33).  Introduced  by 
a  question:  "What  attestation  of  this  have  we?" 
Moses  and  the  manna  proffered  as  an  illustration  of 
the  kind  of  evidence  they  desire.  Jesus  responds 
that  the  proof  is  in  the  gift  itself  (33). 

(4)  The  Son  of  Man  the  Gift  of  Life  in  Himself  (34, 
35).  Introduced  by  a  request:  "Evermore  give  us 
this  bread !"  The  satisfying  nature  of  this  food  for 
life. 

(5)  Appropriation  of  the  Gift  Through  Faith  (36-38). 
Some  do  not  exercise  faith  in  the  Son  of  man,  and 
hence  do  not  receive  life.  Those  whom  the  Father 
draws,  that  is,  who  have  the  right  spiritual  percep- 
tion, do  appropriate  this  gift. 

(6)  Life  thus  Appropriated  a  Present  Possession,  to  he 
followed  by  Resurrection  (39,  40).  Distinctions  in 
faith.  Discriminate  between  faith  which  is  merely 
belief  resting  on  sufficient  evidence  and  faith  which 
is  the  personal  appropriation  of  Christ. 

2.  Second  Conversation  (41-51). 

Question :  How  can  the  Son  of  m_an  give  eternal  fife  ? 
Answer :  The  Son  of  man  gives  Himself. 

(i)  The  Jews  Scandalized  (41.  42).  Introduced  by  a 
murmuring  among  themselves  (41).  Disturbed  by 
the  claim  that  a  man  whose  pedigree  and  history  they 
know  is  the  source  of  life  (42). 

(2)  Spiritual  Preparation  Required  (43,  44).  Without 
the  drawing  of  the  Father  men  can  not  apprehend 
this  unique  idea.  From  the  human  side  it  is  based 
on  man's  will ;  on  the  Divine  side  it  rests  on  God's 
power. 

(3)  Old  Testament  Promises  (45,  46).  The  Father 
draws  men  by  enlightening  them.  Jesus  does  not 
quote  the  ancient  Scriptures  to  show  the  ground  of 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.     175 

His  teaching,  but  to  confirm  His  doctrines  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  rely  upon  these  writings. 

(4)  The  Necessary  Co-operation  of  the  Believer  (47-50). 
The  teaching  is  not  sufficient.  Receiving  and  appro- 
priating are  indispensable.  This  is  an  act  of  faith 
without  which  the  Divine  gift  is  in  vain. 

(5)  The  Gift  of  the  Son  of  Man  (51).  Himself  in  the 
fullness  of  His  humanity.  "Flesh"  is  human  nature 
in  its  entirety.  Death  foreshadowed  in  the  word, 
to  be  brought  out  more  clearly  in  "blood." 

3.  Third  Conversation  (52-59). 

Question:  How  can  one  partake  of  the  flesh  of  the 
Son  of  man? 

Answer :  By  a  spiritual  union  with  Him. 

( 1 )  The  Puzzle  of  the  Jews  (52) .  Introduced  by  a  striv- 
ing am.ong  themselves.  "How  can  this  man  give  us 
his  flesh  to  eat?"  The  bread  and  the  flesh  are  now 
identical. 

(2)  The  Teaching  in  Detail  (53-55).  "Flesh"  and 
"blood."  Life  and  death  are  plainly  involved.  Only 
by  partaking  of  the  virtues  of  Christ's  life  and  death 
can  the  believer  appropriate  by  faith  the  Son  of  man, 

(3)  Personal  Union  Between  Christ  and  the  Believer 
Thus  Established  (56).  Christ  the  source  of  life, 
and  the  end  of  life.    The  mutuality  of  relation. 

(4)  Fullness  of  Life  Thus  Secured  (57,  58).  As  the  life 
of  the  Father  is  imparted  to  the  Son,  so  the  life  of 
the  Son  of  man  is  imparted  to  all  true  believers. 

II.    ISSUE  OF    THE   DISCOURSE    IN  BELIEF   AND    UNBE- 
LIEF (60-71). 

The  discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life  is  a  trial  to  the  faith 
of  the  disciples. 

I.  The  Murmuring  Followers  (60).  The  "hard  say- 
ing." Not  difficult  to  understand,  but  to  accept.  In 
some  respects  revolting  to  thought.  Chiefly  hard  to 
receive  because  it  involved  submission  and  sacrifice. 


176      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

2.  The  Response  of  Jesus  (6i,  62).    Greater  difficulties 

are  yet  to  appear;  for  example,  return  to  heaven  of 
the  Son  of  man. 

3.  Spiritual  Perception  Necessary  to  Discipleship  (63- 

65).  "It  is  the  spirit  that  quickeneth ;  the  flesh 
profiteth  nothing.  The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you, 
they  are  spirit  and  they  are  life." 

4.  The  Disciples  Divided  (66).    The  strain  upon  their 

loyalty  is  too  great  for  any  but  the  most  spiritually- 
minded  to  bear.  They  have  hoped  for  a  monarch 
who  would  bring  them  glory ;  they  are  promised  only 
a  Savior  who  will  bring  them  eternal  life.  The  bal- 
ancing of  earthly  and  divine  interests  turns  the  scale 
toward  self  and  away  from  God. 

5.  Peter's  Confession  of  Faith  (67-69).    Three  affirma- 

tions— I.  No  one  else  to  whom  he  can  go;  2.  Jesus 
is  entirely  sufficient;  3.  He  is  the  Messiah.  The 
trusting  disciple  will  therefore  cleave  to  Him. 

6.  The  Apostasy  of  Judas  Predicted  (70,  71).     Even 

the  choice  of  the  Lord  does  not  prevent  one  of  the 
apostles  from  becoming  an  apostate. 


Hymn  No.  325. 

Break  Thou  the  bread  of  life. 

Dear  Lord,  to  me, 
As  Thou  didst  break  the  loaves 

Beside  the  sea. 

— Mary  A.  Lathhury, 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  spent  more  labor  for  the  meat  that  perishes 
than  for  the  meat  that  endures  unto  everlasting  life? 

2.  Does  my  faith  in  the  Son  of  God  stumble  at  the 
fact  that  He  is  also  the  Son  of  man  ? 

3.  Can  I  utter  Peter's  confession  of  faith  with  a  good 
conscience  ? 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.    177 

A  Hard  Saying. 

"/  am  the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven: 
if  any  man  eat  of  this  bread  he  shall  live  forever;  and 
the  bread  that  I  will  give  is  My  flesh,  which  I  will  give 
for  the  life  of  the  world." — John  vi,  51. 

"This  is  an  hard  saying ;  who  can  hear  it  ?"  exclaimed 
the  disciples  when  Christ  had  finished  His  wonderful 
discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life.  "Saying"  means  doc- 
trine, and  "hard"  means  difficult  to  accept.  It  was  not 
incomprehensible,  but  it  was  unpalatable.  The  reasons 
for  their  murmuring  against  it  are  not  obscure. 

In  the  first  place,  the  teaching  was  offensive  to  their 
natural  propensities  and  to  their  worldly  traditions.  It 
placed  the  emphasis  on  spiritual  rather  than  material 
needs.  "Labor  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,"  said 
Jesus,  "but  for  that  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlast- 
ing life."  He  tells  them  that  they  have  not  swarmed 
after  Him  because  they  were  eager  for  Him,  but  because 
they  wanted  to  secure  some  advantage  for  themselves. 
They  had  a  joyous  recollection  of  the  loaves  and  the 
fishes  with  which  He  had  fed  them  the  day  before. 

Is  not  that  the  way  of  the  world?  If  it  could  be  made 
apparent  that  attending  public  worship  would  increase 
business,  multiply  incomes,  and  insure  various  material 
benefits,  the  churches  in  America  would  overflow  with 
auditors,  and  we  should  need  to  station  policemen  in 
front  of  these  edifices  to  prevent  the  people  from  break- 
ing in  before  the  doors  were  open. 

These  old  Jews  were  a  very  religious  people.  That  is 
the  characteristic  which  distinguishes  them  as  a  nation. 
It  has  often  been  observed  that  the  ideal  of  the  Greek 
was  knowledge,  of  the  Roman  social  order,  and  of  the 
Jew  religion.  But  the  Hebrew  has  always  wanted  to  mix 
his  religion  with  politics,  social  advantage,  financial 
profit.  And  whenever  a  leader  has  appeared  who  has 
sought  to  turn  his  mind  toward  exclusively  spiritual 
ideals,  the  attempt  has  not  met  with  popular  approval. 
It  was  the  general  conviction  of  the  Jew  in  olden  times 


178     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

that  it  was  profitable  to  serve  Jehovah,  and  the  only  bless- 
ing he  recognized  was  the  blessing  of  prosperity. 

There  are  others  of  like  persuasion,  though  with  a 
different  nationality.  We  Americans  are  a  very  religious 
people.  We  say  so  on  the  coins  we  mint,  in  the  Thanks- 
giving proclamations  which  we  issue,  in  the  prayers  we 
pronounce  over  legislatures,  congresses,  and  political 
conventions.  But  we  also  put  a  large  element  of  self- 
interest  into  our  religious  sentiment.  We  can  not  fully 
indorse  the  Christian  dictum,  "Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom 
of  God  and  His  righteousness,"  as  a  practical  working 
basis  for  life.  "Take  no  thought  for  the  morrow,"  we 
think  a  very  delusive  kind  of  idealism.  We  have  a  sharp 
eye  to  the  main  chance. 

Epictetus  records  that  when  Archelaus  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  Socrates  informing  him  that  it  was  his  royal  in- 
tention to  make  him  rich,  the  philosopher  bade  the  mes- 
senger tell  his  master  that  at  Athens  four  quarts  of  m.eal 
might  be  bought  for  three-pence,  and  the  fountains  were 
overflowing  with  water.  Such  a  contempt  for  wealth  can 
scarcely  be  understood  by  the  people  of  this  generation, 
and  the  policy  of  avoiding  riches  for  the  sake  of  living 
more  simply  would  be  scouted  by  the  majority  of  men  in 
our  time  as  a  piece  of  folly.  The  meat  that  perishes 
has  a  very  large  claim  on  the  attention  of  the  average 
American.  This  is  not  strange,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
every  book  and  periodical  he  reads,  every  voice  that 
smites  his  ear  on  the  street,  and  every  other  impression 
which  is  made  on  his  mind  bids  him  hurry  to  acquire, 
lest  some  one  outstrip  him  in  the  race.  The  minister  of 
religion,  v/ith  his  solemn  face  and  his  admonishing  tone, 
saying,  "Labor  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but 
labor  for  that  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life," 
is  regarded  as  an  unwelcome  intruder. 

Nevertheless,  without  this  admonition  we  should  sink 
into  satisfaction  with  the  sordid,  our  very  successes  drag- 
ging us  down  to  deeper  pits  of  spiritual  degradation. 
The  nobler  ideals  which  are  native  to  the  soul  would  be 
submerged.  We  should  live  among  the  straw  and  stubble 
of  things,   and  never  see  the  stars  shining  above  our 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.    179 

heads.  Teachers  of  rehgion  can  not  be  too  insistent  in 
thrusting  their  principles  upon  our  attention.  They  must 
lay  their  hands  earnestly  upon  our  shoulders  and  point 
us  pressingly  to  the  Celestial  City,  or  we  shall  be  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  City  of  Destruction.  However  irritating 
he  may  be,  the  man  who  draws  us  away  from  material 
interests  to  spiritual  ideals  is  an  angel  of  God. 

/^ 

Christ's  doctrine  of  the  Bread  of  Life  was  offensive 
to  these  Jews  also,  because  it  appeared  unreasonable  to 
their  carnal  minds  that  a  man  of  their  own  society  should 
identify  himself  with  the  spiritual  food  which  he  declared 
was  essential  for  their  lives.  When  Jesus  had  impressed 
them  with  the  thought  that  in  the  quest  of  life  the  spir- 
itual interests  of  men  are  of  paramount  importance,  and 
they  had  asked  Him  how  they  might  work  for  these  in- 
terests. He  told  them  to  begin  by  believing  in  Him. 
When  they  demanded  some  sign  which  should  authenti- 
cate Him  to  their  minds,  He  replied  that  the  proof  of  His 
assertions  would  be  found  in  the  spiritual  food  itself. 
When  they  cried,  "Lord,  everm.ore  give  us  this  bread!" 
He  responded,  "I  am  the  bread  of  life:  he  that  com.eth  to 
Me  shall  never  hunger,  and  he  that  believeth  on  Me  shall 
never  thirst."  This  was  altogether  too  great  a  tax  on 
their  credulity.  "Is  not  this  Jesus,  the  son  of  Joseph, 
whose  father  and  mother  we  know?"  they  ask.  "How 
can  He  have  come  down  from  heaven?  He  was  born  in 
Bethlehem.  He  was  brought  up  in  Nazareth.  He  lived 
in  Galilee  until  recently.  He  the  bread  of  life?  It  is 
preposterous." 

That  is  the  way  in  which  men  attempt  to  throw  off 
the  claims  of  Christ  upon  their  lives  to-day.  They  say, 
"Your  human  Jesus  can  not  be  the  ultimate  source  of 
life.  It  is  unreasonable."  They  wish  to  get  into  an  argu- 
ment about  it.  But  the  method  of  Jesus  is  better.  He 
will  not  discuss  the  question.  He  simply  reaffirms  the 
claim,  "I  am  the  bread  of  life.  .  .  .  This  is  the  bread 
which  Cometh  down  from  heaven.  ...  I  am  the  living 
bread."     The  soul  that  feeds  on  the  Bread  will  not  be 


180      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

troubled  by  the  genealogical  table  of  Jesus.  The  proof 
that  Christ  is  food  and  drink  to  the  soul  is  found  in 
partaking  of  Him.  Not  long  before  his  death  Charles 
Kingsley  was  discussing  with  a  friend  some  of  the  pro- 
foundest  doctrines  of  our  holy  religion,  when  he  sud- 
denly broke  out  with  the  exclamation,  "I  can  not,  can 
not  live  without  this  man  Christ  Jesus!"  That  is  the 
experience  of  all  who  have  gone  to  Him  for  the  satis- 
faction of  their  soul-hunger. 

The  figure  Jesus  uses  is  unquestionably  a  very  strik- 
ing one.  But  He  was  dealing  with  very  obtuse  people, 
who  must  be  shocked  into  some  kind  of  moral  sensibility 
before  they  could  apprehend  the  truth.  "I  am  the  bread 
of  life"  was  calculated  to  accomplish  that  result.  "He 
that  cometh  to  Me,"  "He  that  believeth  on  Me,"  "He 
that  feedeth  on  Me,"  would  probably  wake  up  the  dullest 
mind.  Yet  the  figure  is  not  difficult  or  incongruous. 
Are  there  not  men  who  feed  on  Shakespeare  and  the 
poets,  on  Plato  and  the  philosophers?  Do  we  not  speak 
of  drinking  in  the  charm  of  a  painting,  the  beauty  of  a 
statue,  the  grandeur  of  an  architectural  pile,  the  sub- 
limity of  a  mountain  peak?  Is  not  patriotism  nourished 
by  the  lives  of  heroes  who  infect  their  fellows  with  their 
own  sacrificial  spirit?  Is  not  patience  developed  in  the 
souls  of  others  by  the  gentle  sufferer  who  influences  the 
mood  of  an  entire  household?  And  do  not  these  anal- 
ogies assist  us  to  perceive  how  Christ  can  feed  the  souls 
of  men  by  imparting  Himself  to  them?  Have  we  not 
witnesses  enough  to  the  sustaining  power  of  communion 
with  God?  Has  not  the  famished  one  often  cried  out 
with  the  Psalmist,  "As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water 
brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  Thee,  O  God.  My  soul 
thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God  ?"  And  has  not  the 
cry  been  heard,  and  the  longing  satisfied  ?  Did  not  Jesus 
quote  the  saying  of  the  olden  time,  "Man  shall  not  live 
by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out 
of  the  mouth  of  God  ?"  And  have  not  multitudes  greater 
than  that  which  Jesus  fed  by  the  shore  of  Galilee  testi- 
fied, "He  hath  prepared  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence 
of  mine  enemies?"' 

Captain  Allen  Francis  Gardiner  is  an  impressive  ex- 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.     181 

ample.  Actuated  by  the  devout  passion  to  spread  the 
Gospel  among  the  degraded  heathen  of  Patagonia,  he 
landed  with  one  or  two  companions  on  the  terrible  coast 
of  Picton  Island.  Abandoned  by  the  rescue  party  which 
should  have  come,  these  poor  men  slowly  starved  to 
death,  but  their  faith  remained  strong  and  invincible  to 
the  end.  After  weeks  of  incredible  suffering  from  cold 
and  hunger,  Gardiner  wrote,  "God  has  kept  me  in  per- 
fect peace."  When  the  bodies  of  these  heroes  were  found 
a  month  after  they  had  perished,  the  sailors  who  had 
come  too  late  to  deliver  them  cried  like  children.  But 
they  found  that  Gardiner  had  painted  on  a  rock  beside 
the  cavern  where  he  and  his  comrades  had  taken  refuge 
from  the  cold  a  hand  pointing  downwards,  and  beneath 
it  the  words,  "My  soul,  wait  thou  only  upon  God."  He 
had  taken  of  the  Bread  of  Heaven,  and  had  been  nour- 
ished unto  eternal  life. 

Christ's  doctrine  of  the  Bread  of  Life  was  offensive 
also  to  these  Jews  because  it  scandalized  their  sense  of 
propriety.  At  least  this  is  the  pretense  they  made. 
When  Jesus  said,  "The  bread  that  I  will  give  is  My 
flesh,  which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of  the  world,"  they 
professed  to  be  appalled.  "How  can  this  man  give  us 
His  flesh  to  eat?"  they  exclaim.  Jesus  simply  drives  the 
affirmation  still  deeper  into  the  quick,  and  says,  "Whoso 
eateth  My  flesh  and  drinketh  My  blood  hath  eternal  life, 
and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day.  For  My  flesh  is 
meat  indeed,  and  My  blood  is  drink  indeed."  And  we 
may  imagine  these  troubled  disputants  saying  among 
themselves,  "Suppose  He  is  the  Son  of  man,  suppose  He 
is  the  true  revelation  of  God,  suppose  He  is  the  source 
of  life — how  can  we  partake  of  His  flesh  and  blood? 
The  thought  is  abhorrent  to  every  properly  instructed 
Jew." 

Do  we  also  stumble  at  this  teaching?  And  shall  we 
endeavor  to  master  the  difficulty  by  adopting  the  plan 
which  Rome  has  employed,  and  in  the  sacrifice  of  the 
mass  say  that,  by  the  charm  of  a  priest's  words  the  wafer 
and  the  wine  become  the  veritable  body  and  blood  of 


182      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Christ,  which  taken  into  the  human  system  effect  a  spir- 
itual reinvigoration  ?  It  is  a  species  of  pious  cannibalism, 
if  one  believes  it  a  genuine  transaction.  It  is  a  pious 
fraud,  if  one  believes  it  is  a  mere  figure,  and  that  this 
is  all  Jesus  meant  by  His  solemn  and  oft-repeated  words. 
Or  shall  we  like  the  Jew  repudiate  the  teaching  alto- 
gether ? 

Nay;  Jesus  has  provided  the  key  which  unlocks  this 
mystery.  He  has  given  the  terms  of  interpretation.  "It 
is  the  spirit  that  quickeneth;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing. 
The  words  that  I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit  and  they 
are  life."  This  is  a  spiritual  truth,  and  it  can  only  be 
spiritually  apprehended.  The  revelation  of  the  Divine 
Father  is  through  a  human  Son.  The  Word  has  been 
made  flesh.  Flesh  signifies  the  fullness  of  humanity.  The 
appropriation  of  that  human  Christ,  the  partaking  of  the 
virtues  of  His  life  and  death,  the  assimilation  of  His  di- 
vine nature,  by  an  act  of  faith  in  Him,  which  is  utter 
dependence  on  Him — that  is  what  is  intended  by  eating 
His  flesh  and  drinking  His  blood.  To  consume  His  body 
would  not  give  eternal  life.  Parkman  tells  of  an  Indian 
who  fancied  he  could  imbibe  the  heroic  spirit  of  a  dying 
Jesuit  priest  by  drinking  his  blood,  but  no  enlightened 
mind  dreams  that  Christ's  power  to  nourish  the  souls 
of  men  is  transmitted  in  any  such  magical  fashion.  But 
the  quality  of  His  life  is  not  the  low  tone  of  ours.  His 
is  not  the  defective  morality  that  mars  our  characters. 
He  is  the  perfection  of  spiritual  beauty  and  strength. 
He  is  the  Son  of  God.  We  know  that  if  we  can  partake 
of  His  life  we  shall  be  like  Him.  Those  old  Jews  knew 
well  enough  what  He  meant.  They  were  not  so  devoid 
of  poetry  and  moral  perception  as  they  pretended  to  be. 
But  they  did  not  favor  the  doctrine  because  they  desired 
a  Messiah  who  would  enable  them  to  fulfill  their  earthly 
and  political  aspirations.  We  know  full  well  what  Jesus 
means,  and  if  we  do  not  accept  His  teaching  it  is  not 
because  we  can  not  understand  it,  but  because  it  runs 
against  our  worldly  tastes. 

It  is  not  enough  for  us  to  look  at  the  Bread  of  Life, 
to  comment  upon  the  nutritiousness  of  this  spiritual  food, 
to  acknowledge  that  we  need  it.    We  can  do  all  this  and 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE.     183 

starve  to  death,  while  every  consideration  warns  us  to 
partake ;  as  a  child  may  be  famishing  with  hunger,  while 
he  pushes  his  pinched  face  up  against  the  window  of  a 
bake-shop,  looking  eagerly  at  the  things  he  has  not  money 
to  buy.  "Think  oftener  of  God  than  you  breathe,"  said 
an  old  pagan  philosopher.  "Let  discourse  of  God  be  re- 
newed daily,  more  surely  than  your  food."  That  is  well, 
but  not  enough.  Take  God  into  perpetual  communion 
with  your  soul  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  Then  the 
doctrine  of  the  Bread  of  Life  will  not  be  a  hard  saying, 
but  sweet  and  comforting  beyond  the  choicest  gifts  of  the 
world. 

Bread  of  heaven, 
Feed  me  till  I  want  no  more. 


XVI. 
JESUS  AT  THE  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

This  Gospel  speaks  a  language  to  which  no  parallel 
whatever  is  to  be  found  in  the  whole  compass  of  liter- 
ature ;  such  childlike  simplicity,  with  such  contemplative 
profundity;  such  life  and  such  deep  rest;  such  sadness 
and  such  seventy ;  and  above  all,  such  a  breath  of  love. 

— Thotuck. 

Now  the  Scenery  is  Shifted.  An  example  of  John's 
dramatic  method.  He  omits  much  of  the  ministry 
in  GaHlee  which  is  recorded  in  Matt,  xiv — xviii, 
simply  saying,  "Jesus  was  walking  in  Galilee,"  and 
giving  the  reason  for  His  absence  from  Judsea — the 
Jews  were  seeking  to  kill  Him.  There  is  thus  an 
interval  of  six  months  of  which  John  records  noth- 
ing. He  suddenly  transfers  Jesus  to  Jerusalem, 
where  the  crisis  immediately  becomes  more  acute. 

I.    THE  CHALLENGE  OF  HIS  BRETHREN  (1-9). 
The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  described, 

1.  Jesus   Urged   by   His   Brethren  to   Attend    (2-5). 

Their  motives  probably  sincere.  No  treachery  indi- 
cated in  the  suggestion.  Sharing  the  opinions  of 
the  Jews  respecting  the  character  of  the  Messiah, 
they  did  not  believe  in  the  claim  of  Jesus,  but  wanted 
the  matter  tested  in  Jerusalem,  where  His  works 
would  have  more  publicity.  Their  arguments  are 
apparently  sound. 

2.  The  Response  of  Jesus  (6-9).    It  was  not  opportune 

for  Him  to  go  yet.     A  hint  that  following  their 
advice  would  precipitate  conflict  resulting  in  prema- 
184 


JESUS  AT  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.      185 

ture  death  for  Him.  No  peril  for  them  because  they 
had  not  aroused  the  hatred  of  the  world.  They  were 
in  practical  accord  with  the  spirit  of  their  times. 

II.  DISCOURSES  AT  THE  FEAST  (10-39). 

1.  Introductory  (10-13).     His  appearance  at  the  Feast, 

and  the  impression  made  by  it.  Enters  somewhat 
clandestinely.  Jews  eagerly  seek  for  Him.  People 
divided  in  their  gossip  about  Him  (12).  No  open 
discussion  of  Him  "for  fear  of  the  Jews"  (13). 
Subservience  of  the  people  to  the  authorities. 

2.  First  Discourse  (14-36).    Three  groups  of  hearers: 

(i)  The  Jezvs  Generally  (14-24).  About  the  middle  of 
the  Feast  in  the  Temple  (14).  They  marvel  at  His 
literary  ability  (15).  Jesus  attributes  it  to  God  ( 16), 
whose  doctrines  He  teaches.  Gives  a  method  of  test- 
ing His  doctrines  (17,  18).  Accuses  them  of  being 
false  to  their  own  law  (19).  Shows  them  their  in- 
consistency (20-24),  and  awakens  their  resentment. 

(2)  Citizens  of  Jerusalem  (25-31).  Their  query:  This 
is  the  man  the  rulers  are  trying  to  capture,  yet  He 
speaks  openly ;  why  do  they  not  silence  Him  ?  Do 
they  hesitate  because  they  fear  He  may  be  the 
Christ?  We  know  better.  The  Messiah  will  come 
mysteriously,  not  openly  (25-27).  The  response  of 
Jesus:  You  know  Me  well  enough,  but  not  My 
Father  who  sent  Me  (28,  29).  Their  unsated  anger 
(30).  His  time  was  not  yet  come.  The  people  are 
disposed  to  believe  in  Him,  being  doubtful  whether 
the  Messiah  would  do  more  miracles  than  Jesus  had 
performed,  to  their  knowledge  (31). 

(3)  The  Police  of  the  Sanhedrin  (32-36).  Sent  to  ap- 
prehend Him  (32).  The  puzzling  declaration  of 
Jesus  about  going  away  whither  they  could  not  reach 
Him  (33,  34).  Their  unsatisfactory  attempts  to  ex- 
plain it  (35,  36). 


186      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

3.  Second  Discourse  (37-39).  The  last  day  of  the 
Feast.  Christ's  enigmatical  saying.  Perhaps  occa- 
sioned by  the  libations  of  water  made  at  the  morn- 
ing sacrifice  on  eacn  day  of  the  Feast  (37,  38). 
Compare  Isa.  Iv,  i ;  Rev.  xxii,  17.  John's  interpre- 
tation of  this  utterance.  This  passage  (39)  an  evi- 
dence that  the  evangelist  wrote  a  long  time  after 
the  events  he  recorded. 

ill.  CONFLICTING  RESULTS  OF  THE  DISCOURSES  (40-52). 

1.  Impression    Made    Upon    the    Populace    (40-44). 

Some  said,  "This  is  the  Prophet."  Others,  "This 
is  the  Christ."  Some,  "Christ  can  not  come  out 
of  Galilee,  according  to  the  Scriptures"  (40-42). 
A  division  of  the  people,  but  despite  the  desire  of 
some  to  seize  Him,  no  man  laid  hands  upon  Him 
(43,  44).  Observe  how  the  world  is  still,  and  al- 
ways will  be,  thus  divided. 

2.  Impression  Made  Upon  the  Ofificers  (45-49).     No 

opportunity  had  arisen  for  taking  Jesus.  His  words 
had  profoundly  impressed  the  Sanhedrin  police  (46). 
Moreover,  his  hour  had  not  come  (30).  When  that 
should  arrive  there  would  be  no  difficulty.  Read 
xiii,  27;  xviii,  6;  xix,  li.  The  rejoinder  of  the 
Pharisees  (48,  49)  is  an  appeal  to  the  authority  of 
precedent.  The  dignitaries  had  not  believed  in  Jesus. 
The  rude  populace  was  not  to  be  relied  upon.  The 
officers  ought  not  to  have  been  influenced  by  igno- 
rant opinions. 

3.  Divided  Sentiment  of  the  Sanhedrin  (50-52).     The 

gentle  protest  of  Nicodemus.  Campare  Gamaliel's 
speech.  (Acts  v,  34-42.)  The  Pharisees  were  con- 
demning the  people  for  that  of  which  they  were 
themselves  guilty,  a  violation  of  the  law.  The  ac- 
cused was  entitled  to  be  heard.  (Deut.  i,  16,  17.) 
The  Pharisees  retort  that  Galilee  is  no  place  to  look 
for  greatness  (52;  41,  42). 


JESUS  AT  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.      187 

Hymn  No.  127. 

O  who  like  Thee  so  humbly  bore 
The  scorn,  the  scoff  of  men  before? 
So  meek,  so  lowly,  yet  so  high, 
So  glorious  in  humility? 

— A.  Cleveland  Coxe. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  On  which  side  of  the  conflict  about  Jesus  do  I 
stand. 

2.  Have  I  accepted  His  method  of  proving  the  truth 
of  His  teachings — doing  the  will  of  God? 

3.  Do  His  words  convince  me  that  He  is  the  Son  of 
God? 


Opinions  About  Jesus. 

"So  there  was  a  division  among  the  people  because 
of  Him." — John  vii,  43. 

Not  long  before  his  death,  Franz  Delitzsch,  the  fa- 
mous German  exegete  and  Hebrew  scholar,  sent  an  ac- 
count of  his  conversion  to  a  religious  periodical,  in  which 
these  words  occur:  "After  passing  through  the  ordinary 
schools  I  came  out  a  complete  rationalist.  I  felt  a  draw- 
ing toward  God,  but  the  person  of  Jesus  was  for  me 
enveloped  in  deep  darkness.  I  went  to  the  university 
to  study  philosophy  and  philology.  Seeking  for  truth, 
I  plunged  into  the  systems  of  the  German  philosophers, 
of  whom  Fichte  was  especially  attractive  to  me.  A  uni- 
versity friend,  who  had  found  Jesus  and  loved  Him, 
worked  incessantly  to  bring  me  to  the  faith.  I  with- 
stood him  long,  but  to-day  I  can  point  to  the  spot  in  the 
street  of  my  native  city  where  a  beam  from  above  placed 
me  in  the  same  condition  as  Thomas  when  he  exclaimed, 
'My  Lord  and  my  God!'  I  then  studied  theology,  and 
mingled  with  Christian  families,  and  the  three  years  of 


188      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

my  university  course  were  the  sweetest  of  my  life — 'the 
spring-time  of  my  spiritual  love." 

The  person  of  Jesus  has  always  been  "enveloped  in 
deep  darkness"  for  many  thoughtful  people ;  but  when 
any  soul  passes  through  the  spiritual  crisis  described  by 
Delitzsch,  the  mystery  of  Christ's  being  no  longer  pre- 
vents confession  of  faith  in  His  eternal  deity.  "What 
think  ye  of  Christ?"  is  the  question  which  persists  wher- 
ever the  Gospel  is  preached.  The  Pharisees  tried  to 
elude  it  when  Jesus  thrust  it  at  them,  and  said,  "He  is 
the  son  of  David."  But  He  wound  them  up  in  their  own 
snares,  and  sent  them  away  discomfited.  The  unreason- 
ing populace  said,  "We  think  him  Elias,  or  John  the 
Baptist,  or  Jeremias,  or  some  other  of  the  old  prophets," 
Nicodemus,  who  interviewed  Him  by  night,  said,  "Rabbi, 
Thou  art  a  teacher  come  from  God."  The  brutal  mob 
which  bore  Him  away  to  a  prejudiced  tribunal  said,  "We 
think  Him  worthy  of  death.  Away  with  Him!"  The 
centurion  who  with  his  soldiers  stood  guard  around  His 
cross,  and  beheld  the  darkness  and  felt  the  earthquake 
which  attended  His  death,  cried  out,  "Truly  this  man 
was  the  Son  of  God !"  Simon  Peter,  with  a  still  deeper 
insight,  exclaimed,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God." 

There  are  no  fresh  opinions  about  the  person  of 
Christ.  All  the  schools  of  belief  and  unbelief  which  ex- 
ist to-day  were  operative  in  the  years  of  Christ's  earthly 
ministry,  and  in  a  general  way  had  their  representatives 
among  those  who  discussed  Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles, as  recorded  in  John's  Gospel. 


The  people  were  divided  then  respecting  His  char- 
acter. Some  of  them  said,  "He  is  a  good  man."  Others 
said,  "No,  He  is  a  deceiver."  The  dilemma  still  exists. 
If  the  claims  which  Jesus  advanced  were  false,  then  He 
deceived  His  generation,  and  He  can  not  be  a  good  man- 
Say  what  you  will  about  His  virtues,  acknowledge  His 
miraculous  powers,  admit  that  "never  man  spake  like  this 
man;"  yet  if  He  foisted  an  imposture  upon  His  age,  He 


JESUS  AT  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.      189 

was  not  a  good  man.  There  is  nothing  more  terrible, 
nothing  more  wicked,  than  to  deceive  the  people.  He 
who  lures  an  unsuspicious  public  to  investments  which 
he  knows  are  doomed  to  failure,  or  imperils  human  life 
by  structures  which  he  knows  are  improperly  built,  re- 
ceives the  execration  of  mankind.  But  his  guilt  is  light 
compared  with  the  iniquity  of  him  who  betrays  the  faith 
of  immortal  souls  by  false  teachings,  or  rears  their  hopes 
on  the  crumbling  basis  of  a  lie.  If  Jesus  swerved  a 
hair's  breadth  from  absolute  truth,  He  can  not  receive 
the  tribute  which  He  claims. 

There  is  an  alternative,  which  amazing  rashness  has 
sometimes  suggested.  If  Christ  were  self-deceived,  He 
could  not  be  charged  with  dishonesty.  The  Jews  put 
this  suggestion  into  form  when  they  said,  "Thou  hast 
a  devil,"  by  which  they  meant  that  He  was  beside  Him- 
self. On  another  occasion  He  had  been  the  victim  of  a 
similar  criticism  because  of  His  intense  enthusiasm.  Now 
He  is  taunted  with  madness  because  He  has  shown  them 
that  He  knows  they  seek  His  life.  Insanity  is  the  only 
relief  for  the  character  of  Jesus,  if  it  be  proven  that  He 
deceived  the  people.  But  it  requires  a  madman  to  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  had  other  than  a  faultless  mind,  in  the 
face  of  His  incomparable  words.  And  His  challenge, 
"Which  of  you  convinceth  Me  of  sin?"  remains  unan- 
swered to  this  day. 


The  people  were  divided  respecting  His  works. 
"Look  at  His  miracles,"  some  say.  "When  Christ  com- 
eth  will  He  do  more  miracles  than  these  which  this  man 
hath  done  ?"  But  others  suggested  that  His  works  were 
probably  wrought  through  diabolical  influence.  They 
were  good  works  doubtless,  but  they  proceeded  from  a 
bad  source.  The  gross  inconsistency  of  this  assumption 
would  make  it  incredible,  if  something  like  it  had  not 
appeared  frequently  in  history.  The  melancholy  story 
of  witchcraft  stains  the  pages  of  human  annals  through 
some  of  the  most  intelligent  periods  of  the  world's  career. 
The   wonder-worker  is  always  in  great  peril.     People 


190     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

will  kill  him  just  because  he  has  such  extraordinary 
gifts.  And  if  his  life  is  saved,  his  reputation  will  be  de- 
stroyed. The  censors  of  public  opinion  will  ascribe  in- 
fernal motives  to  him,  or  they  will  empty  his  works  of 
any  deep  significance. 

Persons  say  in  our  times,  "Don't  talk  to  me  of  mir- 
acles. I  have  seen  too  many  to  believe  in  them."  They 
remember  that,  as  intelligence  increases  and  the  processes 
of  nature  become  more  clearly  understood,  marvels  are 
wrought  by  ordinary  means,  which  a  former  generation 
would  have  thought  impossible  without  supernatural  in- 
terference. The  evidential  value  of  m.iracles  is  very 
slight  to  many  minds.  Such  persons  suggest  the  words 
attributed  to  Abraham  in  the  story  of  the  Rich  Man 
and  Lazarus :  "If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  Prophets, 
neither  will  they  be  persuaded  though  one  rose  from 
the  dead." 

Thus  people  are  still  divided  respecting  Christ's 
works.  Either  these  wonders  were  not  performed,  they 
say,  or  if  they  were  actually  wrought,  they  were  not 
above  the  natural  order,  and  in  any  case  they  mean  noth- 
ing. But  on  every  supposition  as  to  their  character  they 
do  signify  a  great  deal.  They  are  radiant  with  kindness, 
goodness,  mercy,  compassion,  helpfulness.  What  would 
yoit  do  if  you  possessed  supernatural  power?  Make 
money,  achieve  triumphs,  smite  your  foes,  and  dazzle 
the  world  with  your  performances?  But  Jesus  showed 
the  sublimity  of  His  virtue  by  using  His  power  never 
for  His  own  advantage,  always  for  the  profit  of  others. 

The  people  were  divided  respecting  His  oifice.  They 
said,  "Perhaps  this  is  the  Messiah.  At  any  rate  the 
rulers  permit  Him  to  speak  boldly,  and  say  nothing  to 
Him.  Can  it  be  that  they  have  a  feeling  that  this  is 
the  Christ?  But  this  is  impossible,  for  the  Messiah  will 
come  mysteriously.  As  for  this  man,  we  know  whence 
He  is.  His  pedigree  and  family  are  familiar  to  us." 
Nevertheless,  some  of  them  said,  "Of  a  truth  this  is  the 
Prophet."    Others  said,  "This  is  the  Christ."    Still  others 


JESUS  AT  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.      191 

retorted,  "Shall  Christ  come  out  of  Galilee?  Hath  not 
the  Scriptures  said  that  Christ  cometh  of  the  seed  of 
David,  and  out  of  the  town  of  Bethlehem?"  Their  very 
question  betrays  their  ignorance  of  His  birth  and  par- 
entage. 

But  He  claims  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  That  is  some- 
thing more,  as  He  interprets  it,  than  the  Jewish  mind 
saw  in  being  the  Messiah.  When  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
"Before  Abraham  was  I  am,"  they  took  up  stones  to 
hurl  at  Him.  He  deserved  death,  in  their  judgment,  for 
having  arrogated  to  Himself  the  attributes  of  God. 

Moreover,  the  authorities  were  against  Jesus,  and  the 
popular  will  is  ever  deferential  to  the  opinions  of  the 
persons  who  bulk  large  in  the  public  eye.  "No  man 
spake  openly  of  Him  for  fear  of  the  Jews" — the  influ- 
ential Jerusalem  party.  The  rulers  were  quite  ready  to 
follow  up  the  advantage  which  came  to  them  from  the 
subservience  of  the  people,  and  when  they  detected  any 
disposition  to  favor  Jesus  they  asked,  "Have  any  of  the 
rulers  or  the  Pharisees  believed  on  Him?"  And  that 
was  a  very  effective  thrust. 

These  things  puzzle  a  good  many  persons  yet.  Is 
Jesus  "more  than  man,  but  less  than  God?"  as  some 
would  have  us  think,  if  reason  can  tolerate  such  a  con- 
ception. Or,  is  He  all  that  John  evidently  believed  Him 
to  be,  and  that  the  Church  has  been  teaching  He  is  for 
long  centuries  ?  Are  we  ready  with  the  confession  of  the 
martyr  Pionius?  When  the  consul  asked  him.  "Whom 
dost  thou  worship?"  he  replied,  "I  worship  Him  who 
made  the  earth  and  stars,  and  gave  me  life,  and  is  my 
God."  "Dost  thou  mean  Him  who  was  crucified?"  in- 
quired the  official.  "Certainly  I  do.  Him  whom  the 
Father  sent  for  the  salvation  of  the  world." 

Jesus  is  not  always  popular  with  the  great.  The 
rulers  and  the  Pharisees  in  some  instances  discredit  Him. 
His  place  in  the  individual  heart  depends  upon  the  con- 
viction which  has  been  formed  regarding  His  person. 
"Unto  you,  therefore,  which  believe  He  is  precious,  but 
unto  them  which  be  disobedient  ...  a  stone  of  stum- 
bling and  a  rock  of  offense,"  says  Peter.     Every  soul 


192      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

must  decide  for  himself.  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?" 
There  will  always  be  "a  division  of  the  people  because 
of  Him."  It  is  so  here  and  now,  and  it  will  be  so  here- 
after. The  destiny  of  the  race  will  turn  upon  the  rela- 
tion of  men  to  the  character  of  Christ. 

An  artist  sent  one  of  his  students  to  the  Apollo  Bel- 
vedere in  Rome,  as  the  most  perfect  object  of  its  kind 
in  the  world,  and  said  to  him,  "Go  and  study  it,  and  if 
you  see  no  great  beauty  in  it  to  captivate  you,  study  it 
again.  Go  again  and  again  until  you  feel  its  beauty,  for 
be  assured  it  is  there." 

Jesus  has  provided  a  similar  method  by  which  any 
devout  soul  can  discover  the  ultimate  truth  respecting 
Himself.  "My  doctrine  is  not  Mine,  but  His  that  sent 
Me.  If  any  man  will  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the 
doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of 
Myself."  Faith  in  Christ  is  not  a  triumph  of  the  under- 
standing, but  an  effect  of  obedience.  Live  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  His  teachings,  put  yourself  into  communion 
with  Him,  order  life  in  accordance  with  His  precepts, 
and  ascertain  by  this  spiritual  test  whether  it  is  possible 
to  believe  that  He  could  be  mistaken  about  Himself,  or 
would  undertake  to  deceive  others. 

John  Stuart  Mill,  who  was  certainly  not  a  theological 
partisan  of  evangelical  Christianity,  said,  "That  which, 
after  all,  to  me  would  be  the  best  and  highest  form  of 
life  would  be  to  live  as  Jesus  Christ  would  have  ap- 
proved." It  is  the  line  of  proof  which  Jesus  recom- 
mends— this  conduct  of  life  by  the  rule  of  what  He  pro- 
nounces good.  He  professes  to  reveal  the  will  of  God. 
Let  a  man  pursue  the  course  Jesus  has  marked  out  as 
the  program  of  life.  Not  all  at  once  will  he  see  the  full 
significance  of  Christ's  person.  But  let  him  persevere 
in  the  test,  and  finally  there  will  sweep  down  upon  him 
the  ineradicable  conviction  that  He  is  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God. 

Jean  Maire  was  a  private  tutor  in  a  family  of  the 
German  nobility.     He  was  an  unbelieving  rationalist,  a 


JESUS  AT  FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES.      193 

man  of  erudition  and  refinement,  a  good  public  speaker, 
but  entirely  destitute  of  personal  religion.  One  of  the 
neighboring  ministers  asked  him  to  occupy  his  pulpit 
in  his  absence.  He  replied,  "How  can  I  preach  what 
I  do  not  believe?"  "But  you  believe  in  God,"  said  the 
pastor.  "Yes,  I  do  that,"  he  rejoined.  "And  surely 
you  believe  that  men  should  love  Him?"  "Doubtless," 
he  said.  "Well,  then,  preach  on  the  words  of  Jesus, 
'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
etc'  "  He  said,  "I  will  try  just  to  oblige  you,"  He 
thought  over  the  words,  and  made  notes  somewhat  after 
this  fashion:  i.  We  must  love  God.  Reasons  for  this. 
2.  We  must  love  Him  with  all  our  powers  in  very  truth. 
Nothing  less  than  this  could  satisfy  God.  3.  Do  we  thus 
love  God?  No.  "Then,"  as  he  subsequently  explained 
to  his  friends,  "without  any  previously  formed  plan  I 
was  brought  to  see  the  need  of  a  Savior.  At  that  mo- 
ment a  new  light  broke  upon  my  soul.  I  understood 
that  I  had  not  loved  God,  and  that  I  required  a  Savior, 
and  that  Jesus  was  that  Savior,  and  I  loved  and  clung 
to  Him  at  once.  On  the  morrow  I  preached  the  sermon, 
and  the  third  head  was  the  chief,  namely,  the  necessity  of 
trusting  to  such  a  Savior  as  Jesus."  An  experience  like 
that  is  sufficient  commentary  on  the  words  of  Jesus,  "If 
any  man  will  do  His  will  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine." 


13 


XVII. 
JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN. 

CHAPTER  VII,  53— VIII,  1-11. 

If  the  heart  studies  the  Christ  as  portrayed  in  this  writ- 
ing, it  will  need  no  other  proo!  of  His  divinity. 

—EUicott. 

An  Interruption. 

As  soon  as  the  attention  of  the  reader  is  drawn  to  it, 
he  perceives  that  this  incident  bears  no  necessary  rela- 
tion to  the  matter  which  precedes  and  follows  it.  In 
fact,  it  would  be  natural  to  join  the  12th  verse  of  Chap- 
ter VIII  immediately  to  the  52d  verse  of  Chapter  VII. 
The  insertion  of  this  story  interrupts  the  discourse  of 
Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacles  without  any  ap- 
parent cause.  The  manner  in  which  it  is  introduced, 
and  the  abrupt  fashion  in  which,  at  its  termination,  the 
address  of  Jesus  is  resumed,  show  the  awkwardness  of 
its  position  here.  In  fact,  some  of  the  MSS.  which  con- 
tain it  place  it  at  the  end  of  the  Gospel,  and  one  inserts 
it  after  vii,  36,  where  it  certainly  could  be  better  accom- 
modated than  here. 

These  considerations  raise  the  question — Does  it  really 
belong  to  the  Gospel  of  John  at  all?  The  scholars  are 
practically  unanimous  in  saying  that  it  does  not.  It  is 
omitted  by  all  the  oldest  Greek  MSS.  with  a  single  ex- 
ception. It  diiTers  from  John's  other  writings  both  in 
vocabulary  and  structure.  His  customary  expressions 
are  not  foimd  in  it.  On  the  other  hand,  much  of  its  lan- 
guage is  foreign  to  his  literary  habit.  The  tone  of  the 
narrative  is  unlike  his  writings. 

But  while  the  story  does  not  appear  to  belong  to 
194 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN.       195 

John's  Gospel,  there  is  strong  evidence  that  it  is  "an 
authentic  fragment  of  ApostoHc  tradition."  It  is  sim- 
ilar in  style  to  the  writings  of  the  Synoptists,  and  several 
MSS.  place  it  after  Luke  xxi,  where  it  seems  more  ap- 
propriate. It  evidently  belongs  to  the  period  of  the  last 
visit  to  Jerusalem.  It  may  well  be  regarded  as  a  genuine 
part  of  the  Gospel  history.  It  reflects  the  true  spirit  of 
Christ.  It  may  have  been  written  on  the  margin  of  one 
copy  of  John's  Gospel,  and  thence  transferred  to  other 
MSS.,  and  so  passed  into  the  received  text.  Papias, 
who  flourished  in  the  second  century,  preserves  a  narra- 
tive very  similar  to  this.  The  origin  of  this  story  can 
not  be  located,  and  as  the  readings  of  the  MSS.  are  ex- 
ceedingly various,  several  hands  may  have  wrought  upon 
it.  Yet  it  is  an  independent  story,  and  not  a  variation 
of  some  other  incident  in  the  life  of  Jesus. 

I.  JESUS  AND  THE  ACCUSERS  (3-9). 

Here  is  a  plot  to  ruin  Jesus,  and  this  may  account 
for  its  insertion  at  this  point  in  John's  Gospel.  It  is  an 
illustration  of  the  spirit  with  which  the  Jewish  rulers 
are  seeking  the  destruction  of  Christ.  The  diabolical 
meanness  of  it  is  shown  by  the  method  they  employ. 
Jesus  is  no  sooner  seated  among  the  people  who  have 
gathered  to  hear  His  teachings  than  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  bring  the  poor  creature  into  His  presence  who 
has  already  been  under  their  inquisition.  A  low  state 
of  public  morals  is  revealed  by  the  fact  that  they  dared 
conduct  such  a  trial  on  the  open  streets  of  Jerusalem. 
They  exhibit  brutal  indelicacy  toward  the  woman  by 
thus  exposing  her  to  shame.  They  might  have  referred 
her  case  to  Christ  without  bringing  her  to  Him.  But 
their  motive  is  not  the  conviction  of  this  culprit,  but 
the  ruin  of  Jesus,  and  they  will  scruple  at  no  baseness 
to  accomplish  it. 

They  propose  a  dilemma  which  they  fancy  He  can 
not  escape.  "Moses  in  the  law  commanded  us  that  such 
should  be  stoned,  but  what  sayest  Thou?"  If  He  con- 
firmed the  Mosaic  penalty  He  could  be  accused  before 


196      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Pilate  of  violating  Roman  authority,  which  reserved  to 
itself  the  right  of  pronouncing  the  death  sentence.  If 
He  charged  them  to  dismiss  the  woman  or  to  abate  the 
penalty,  they  could  accuse  Him  before  the  Sanhedrin  and 
discredit  Him  before  the  people  as  a  false  Messiah. 

The  Master  first  meets  the  contemptible  trick,  which 
resembles  in  a  way  the  question  about  tribute  money 
(Luke  XX,  20-26),  by  perfect  silence.  He  stoops  and 
writes  upon  the  pavement.  It  is  the  quiet  rebuke  of  an 
innocent  man.  It  is  not  certain  that  He  wrote  anything 
legible.  His  act  may  have  been  like  that  of  any  person 
who,  in  a  mom.ent  of  agitation,  traces  lines  in  the  dust 
while  reflecting  on  the  situation.  It  has  been  suggested 
that  He  wrote  on  the  ground  to  remind  these  false- 
hearted accusers  of  the  tables  of  the  law  written  with  the 
finger  of  God.  It  has  been  fancied  that  He  was  record- 
ing the  sins  of  those  who  were  present.  Perhaps,  as 
Godet  suggests,  He  wrote  what  He  finally  spoke,  "He 
that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him  first  cast  a  stone 
at  her,"  the  first  part  being  traced  when  He  first  low- 
ered His  head,  and  the  second  when  after  speaking  He 
resumed  His  stooping  posture.  Plummer  says,  'They 
were  hoping  that  He  would  explain  away  the  seventh 
commandment,  in  order  that  they  themselves  might  break 
the  sixth."  Christ's  solution  of  the  dilemma  they  pro- 
posed for  His  undoing  struck  home  to  these  guilty  men. 
It  need  not  be  supposed  that  Jesus  intended  to  imply 
that  each  person  present  had  been  actually  guilty  of  the 
same  sin,  but  that  each  one  would  realize  that  he  was 
potentially  guilty,  and  many  of  them  would  know  that 
by  inclination,  and  judged  by  the  higher  law  which 
Christ  announced  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  they 
were  guilty  in  heart.  By  His  challenge  Jesus  lifted  the 
case  out  of  the  judicial  domain  to  the  moral  ground,  from 
the  legal  to  the  spiritual  plane.  He  shows  that  there  is 
a  tribunal  of  the  soul  more  exacting,  though  more  tender, 
than  that  of  any  human  court.  The  meaning  of  Christ's 
words  is  more  fully  understood  by  comparing  Matt,  vii, 
1-5,  and  Rom.  xiv,  4. 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMEN.       197 

II.  JESUS  AND  THE  ACCUSED  (10,  11). 

The  Lord  waits  long  enough  for  the  accusers  to  sHp 
away  before  He  pays  attention  to  the  poor  creature  await- 
ing her  sentence.  Conscience  has  made  cowards  of  all 
of  them.  They  have  gladly  escaped  the  searching  glance 
of  the  sinless  man.  Then  Jesus  lifts  His  eyes,  and  seeing 
the  woman  standing  alone,  asks,  "Woman,  where  are 
those  thine  accusers?  Hath  no  man  condemned  thee?" 
"No  man,  sir,"  she  replies.  The  one  man  who  because 
of  His  perfect  purity  has  the  right  to  stone  her,  on  the 
broad  principle  of  judgment  He  has  announced,  is  before 
her.  What  will  He  do?  It  is  an  impressive  moment. 
Two  persons  are  alone,  the  compassionate  Christ  and  the 
crestfallen  sinner.  "Neither  do  I  condemn  thee,"  Jesus 
exclaims.  He  came  not  to  judge,  but  to  save.  Never- 
theless, there  is  condemnation,  not  of  the  sinner,  but  of 
the  sin.  "Go,  and  sin  no  more."  No  words  of  forgive- 
ness are  spoken.  They  have  not  been  asked.  No  word 
of  peace  is  pronounced.  He  alone  knows  whether  the 
woman  is  penitent  or  not,  but  He  gives  no  sign  of  His 
knowledge.  Yet  He  has  hope  of  the  sinner.  He  expects 
better  things  of  her.  He  will  send  her  out  with  hope 
in  her  own  soul  and  with  an  inspiration  to  be  true.  Some 
of  the  Fathers  thought  this  incident  likely  to  be  inter- 
preted to  the  peril  of  those  who  would  use  it  as  an 
apology  for  lax  morality.  It  is  really  one  of  the  strong- 
est warnings  against  the  sin  of  unchastity  in  the  whole 
Bible,  while  it  teaches  at  the  same  time  the  sweetest 
charity. 


Hymn  No.  697. 

Rescue  the  perishing. 

Care  for  the  dying, 
Snatch  them  in  pity  from  sin  and  the  grave ; 

Weep  o'er  the  erring  one, 

Lift  up  the  fallen, 
Tell  them  of  Jesus  the  mighty  to  save. 


198      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Down  in  the  human  heart, 

Crushed  by  the  tempter, 
Feelings  He  buried  that  grace  can  restore: 

Touched  by  a  loving  heart, 

Wakened  by  kindness, 
Chords  that  were  broken  will  vibrate  once  more. 
— Fanny  J.  Crosby. 


Personal  Questions: 

1,  Have  I  learned  Christ's  compassion  for  the  sinner? 

2.  Am  I  willing  to  be  judged  by  the  judgment  I  apply 
to  others  ? 


The  Compassionate  Christ. 

Neither  do  I  condemn  thee:  go,  and  sin  no  more. 

— John  viii,  ii. 

"From  thence  He  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and 
the  dead" — so  we  repeat  in  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  the 
declaration  is  well  phrased,  for  He  would  not  pronounce 
judgment  while  He  was  among  men.  Often  He  was 
besought  to  do  so,  but  He  refrained  Himself  from  it, 
saying,  "I  came  not  to  judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the 
world."  Once  He  was  asked  to  adjust  a  quarrel  about 
an  inheritance,  but  He  said,  "Man,  who  made  Me  a  judge 
or  a  divider  over  you  ?"  Once  He  was  asked  to  determine 
whether  a  pious  Jew  ought  to  pay  the  Roman  tax,  and 
He  said,  "Render  unto  Csesar  the  things  which  are 
Caesar's,  and  unto  God  the  things  which  are  God's." 
That  He  would  appoint  unto  men  their  final  judgment 
He  did  not  disavow,  and  He  announced  the  basis  on 
which  He  would  do  it.  But  that  would  occur  after  He 
had  been  glorified  and  the  nations  were  gathered  before 
Him.  For  the  present  life  of  humanity  He  had  no  judg- 
ment to  pronounce.  "God  sent  not  His  Son  into  the 
world  to  condemn  the  world,  but  that  the  world  through 
Him  might  be  saved."    When,  therefore,  the  Scribes  and 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN.       199 

Pharisees  brought  to  Him  a  woman  who  had  been  proven 
guilty  of  that  one  sin  which  society  will  not  condone 
in  her  sex,  but  which  with  rank  injustice  it  views  com- 
placently in  the  other  sex,  He  refused  to  render  judicial 
sentence.  With  marvelous  sagacity  He  said,  "He  that 
is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him  first  cast  a  stone 
at  her."  That  was  a  sword  thrust  which  found  her  ac- 
cusers at  their  very  hearts,  and  noiselessly  they  slipped 
out  of  the  extemporized  court,  leaving  the  woman  and 
the  compassionate  One  face  to  face  alone.  "Woman, 
where  are  those  thine  accusers?  Hath  no  man  con- 
demned thee?"  Jesus  asks.  "No  man,  Lord,"  she  re- 
plies. "Neither  do  I  condemn  thee :  go,  and  sin  no 
more."  Thus  the  Master  gave  compassion,  and  not  con- 
demnation. 

The  compassion  of  Jesus  was  an  evidence  of  His 
quick  intelligence,  and  if  His  modern  disciples  only  knew 
more,  they  too  would  be  more  compassionate.  He  under- 
stood the  motive  and  the  character  of  these  accusers. 
He  knew  that  they  had  no  such  abhorrence  for  the  sin 
of  this  woman  as  they  tried  to  make  apparent.  He  knew 
that  they  had  no  such  scrupulous  regard  for  the  Mosaic 
law  as  they  professed,  for  the  period  was  peculiarly  lax 
in  Jewish  as  well  as  Roman  society.  He  knew,  more- 
over, that  in  their  hearts  they  were  in  many  instances 
as  culpable  as  the  woman  whom  they  sought  to  punish. 
Above  all,  He  knew  that  their  supreme  purpose  was  to 
entangle  Him  in  a  dilemma  from  which  He  could  not 
extricate  Himself  without  on  the  one  hand  showing  a 
clemency  which  would  injure  His  reputation  for  right- 
eousness, or  on  the  other  hand  exercising  a  prerogative 
which  the  Roman  law  jealously  guarded  as  its  own. 

Dante  represents  himself  in  his  immortal  epic  as  hav- 
ing his  forehead  incised  by  the  angel's  sword  with  seven 
P's — peccata — signifying  the  seven  mortal  sins  which 
must  be  purged  away,  not  because  he  had  in  every  in- 
stance been  actually  guilty  of  these  deadly  iniquities,  but 
because  in  himself  he   recognized  the  potentialities   of 


200     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

them  all ;  as  Goethe  said,  ''I  have  never  heard  of  a  crime 
which  I  might  not  have  committed."  These  accusers 
of  the  fallen  woman,  when  confronted  with  the  challenge  ■ 
to  stone  her  if  they  found  no  similar  evil  in  their  own 
lives,  confessed  judgment  instantly,  and  withdrew  in 
silence.     Jesus  knew  them  perfectly. 

He  knew  this  woman  as  well.  The  circumstances 
of  her  life  were  all  before  Him.  He  knew  the  curse 
of  her  comradeship  with  bad  men,  who  were  infinitely 
more  guilty  of  her  sin  than  was  she  who  had  become 
the  victim  of  their  seductive  blandishments.  He  knew 
the  deep  shame  of  her  soul,  the  sharp  darts  of  conscience 
which  were  piercing  her  heart.  He  knew  the  honest 
penitence  which  was  welling  up  in  her  bosom,  and  He 
saw  the  tear-drop  which  agony  and  despair  were  forcing 
from  her  eyelids.  He  saw  in  her  the  image  of  God,  for 
though  the  sun  of  virtue  was  nearly  extinguished  by  the 
heavy  clouds  of  her  revolting  life,  yet  the  light  faintly 
struggled  to  show  itself.  She  was  still  a  woman  with 
the  incalculable  possibilities  for  good  which  are  in  every 
woman,  however  degraded  she  may  have  become.  As 
St.  Bernard  has  well  said,  'The  divina  image  in  man 
can  be  burned,  but  it  can  not  be  burned  out." 

That  there  were  extenuating  circumstances  in  her 
case,  who  can  doubt?  Was  there  ever  such  a  sinner, 
for  whom  nothing  could  be  said  in  apology?  If  we 
knew  the  inner  life  in  its  entirety,  could  we  not  find 
some  little  vestige  of  an  excuse  for  a  sin  that  often 
springs  from  an  abuse  of  holy  affection?  The  exhorta- 
tion of  Burns  is  justified : 

Then  gently  scan  your  brother  man. 

Still  gentler  sister  woman; 
Though  they  may  gang  a  kennin  wrang. 

To  step  aside  is  human. 
One  point  must  still  be  greatly  dark, 

The  moving  why  they  do  it ; 
And  just  as  lamely  can  ye  mark 

How  far  perhaps  they  rue  it. 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN.       201 

Who  made  the  heart,  't  is  He  alone 

Decidedly  can  try  us  ; 
He  knows  each  chord — its  various  tone, 

Each  spring — its  various  bias. 
Then  at  the  balance  let 's  be  mute, 

We  never  can  adjust  it ; 
What 's  done  we  partly  may  compute, 

But  know  not  what 's  resisted. 

The  compassion  of  Jesus  was  an  evidence  of  His  ex- 
alted character.  He  who  could  say,  "Which  of  you  con- 
vinceth  Me  of  sin?"  refused  to  condemn  this  poor  cul- 
prit. The  noblest  persons  are  ever  the  most  compas- 
sionate with  sinners.  Those  who  are  deficient  in  right- 
eousness are  usually  the  least  charitable.  The  defaulting 
servant  in  the  parable,  who  has  been  pardoned  for  a  debt 
of  a  hundred  pounds,  is  quite  ready  to  hound  to  prison 
the  man  who  owes  him  but  fifty.  He  who  has  a  beam 
in  his  own  eye  is  most  eager  to  remove  the  mote  in  his 
neighbor's  eye.  The  censorious  are  often  the  most  cen- 
surable. In  every  case  they  are  lacking  in  the  higher 
qualities  of  a  godly  life.  For  religion  does  not  consist 
merely  in  what  we  call  exact  justice.  Shylock  was  tech- 
nically just,  according  to  the  terms  of  his  bond,  but  mis- 
erably wncked  according  to  the  standards  of  the  better 
morality.  Lycurgus  was  just  enough  with  his  precise 
legislation  for  all  the  crimes  in  the  calendar.  Aristides 
was  so  just  that  his  name  became  offensive  to  one  of  the 
noblest  Athenians.  God,  who  is  goodness  personified, 
is  more  than  just.  "His  mercy  endureth  forever."  There 
are  righteous  people  whose  hatred  of  sin  is  only  equaled 
by  their  love  for  sinners.  They  attain  the  divine  like- 
ness. 

The  best  Christians  are  those  who  feel  the  deepest 
repugnance  for  evil,  conjoined  with  the  sweetest  com- 
passion for  evil-doers.  John  wrote  his  tender  gospel 
from  Ephesus,  one  of  the  most  notoriously  wicked  cities 
of  antiquity.  No  man  in  that  dissolute  metropolis  wit- 
nessed its  foulness  with  greater  horror.     Its  temple  of 


202     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Diana,  housing  hundreds  of  courtesans,  and  sanctioning 
the  vilest  lasciviousness,  filled  no  pious  soul  with  a  dead- 
lier loathing  than  he  experienced.  No  man  wrote  more 
scathingly  of  sin  than  did  he.  Yet  no  preacher  was  more 
compassionate.  No  soul  could  reason  more  lovingly 
with  the  erring  than  did  he.  When  Paul  beheld  Athens 
given  up  to  idolatry,  "his  spirit  was  stirred  in  him,"  the 
record  declares.  The  phrase  is  too  mild.  On  the 
strength  of  the  original  language  we  are  justified  in  say- 
ing that  Paul  suffered  a  paroxysm  of  distress.  Yet  ob- 
serve how  graciously  he  addresses  the  Athenians  on 
Mars'  Hill,  and  how  gently  and  adroitly  he  undertakes 
to  win  them  away  from  their  pagan  abuses.  No  man  in 
Jerusalem  could  feel  the  abhorrence  which  Jesus  had 
for  the  sins  of  His  people.  Yet  when  He  denounced 
them  He  framed  a  lament  that  sounds  its  miserere  over 
the  long  centuries.  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that 
killest  the  prophets  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent 
unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  chil- 
dren together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens 
under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not!" 

We  may  be  sure  that  in  this  instance  Jesus  saw,  as 
no  other  soul  could,  the  vast  abyss  which  yawned  be- 
tween what  this  woman  might  have  been  and  what  she 
had  actually  become.  The  loathsome  character  of  her 
sin  drove  Him  to  momentary  confusion  and  inexpres- 
sible disgust.  Yet  He  was  waiting  to  forgive  her,  while 
He  struggled  with  the  agony  of  a  pure  soul  brought 
into  sudden  and  unhappy  contact  with  iniquity. 

History  tells  us  that  Avidius  Cassius,  one  of  the  most 
trusted  generals  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  revolted  against 
the  Emperor,  and  drew  after  him  a  great  army  of  sol- 
diers. But  when  he  had  been  nominal  sovereign  for 
only  three  months  and  six  days,  he  was  slain  by  some  of 
his  officers.  His  head  was  sent  to  the  Emperor,  but 
Marcus  Aurelius  held  out  no  promise  of  reward  to  the 
assassin,  for  he  regretted  that  his  enemy  had  not  lived 
long  enough  to  afford  him  the  luxury  of  a  sincere  for- 
giveness. When  the  correspondence  of  Cassius  was 
brought  to  him,  he  consigned  it  to  the  flames  unread. 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN.       203 

This  was  like  the  act  of  Jesus,  who  standing  before  that 
fallen  woman,  found  His  divine  delight  not  in  pronounc- 
ing sentence  upon  her,  but  in  proffering  pity  and  encour- 
agement. ''Woman,  where  are  those  thine  accusers? 
Hath  no  man  condemned  thee?  Neither  do  I  condemn 
thee :  go,  and  sin  no  more." 


The  compassion  of  Jesus  is  characteristic  of  His  mis- 
sion in  the  world.  He  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  was  lost.  "Go,  and  sin  no  more"  reveals  the 
method  of  His  work  of  redemption.  Condemnation 
enough  fell  upon  this  sinner's  sin.  She  could  never  es- 
cape the  consequences  of  her  fall.  The  universe  is  built 
on  moral  principles,  "Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 
shall  he  also  reap."  The  law  is  inexorable.  God's  regu- 
lations suffer  no  amendment.  It  is  the  good  fortune  of 
the  world  that  this  is  so.  What  more  dreadful  calamity- 
could  there  be  than  a  universe  conducted  on  caprice? 
God  is  precise. 

"For  the  world  was  built  in  order, 
And  the  atoms  march  in  tune." 

The  astronomer  has  never  any  need  to  publish  a  bul- 
letin announcing  that  a  planet  is  behind  time  in  its  swing 
through  its  unbroken  orbit.  The  chemist  never  has 
cause  to  declare  that  the  proportions  in  which  the  ele- 
ments will  combine  have  been  changed.  This  rectitude 
pervades  the  moral  universe.  Sin  is  lawlessness,  and 
lawlessness  hurls  to  ruin. 

But  no  soul  was  ever  saved  in  this  fashion,  for  we 
have  all  sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God. 
The  law  destroys  the  law-breaker,  and  Jesus  came  not  to 
destroy  life,  but  to  save  it.  His  method  is  forgiveness. 
As  a  means  of  recovering  humanity  from  sin  this  is 
novel.  The  method  of  nature  is  suffering.  The  method 
of  law  is  penalty.  The  method  of  Christ  is  grace.  _  And 
this  method  is  effective.  Forgiving  men  their  _  sins  is 
the  divine  way  of  withdrawing  them  from  their  sins. 


204     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Jean  Valjean,  the  former  convict  in  Victor  Hugo's 
"Les  Miserables,"  is  taken  into  the  good  bishop's  house, 
given  his  supper  and  a  warm  bed  and  made  as  welcome 
as  though  he  were  a  prince.  But  the  propensities  of  a 
life,  hardened  by  contact  with  vicious  men  and  embit- 
tered by  the  sense  of  unjust  treatment,  stifle  the  good 
spirit  in  the  man,  and  before  dawn  he  rises  from  his  bed 
and  carries  off  with  him  the  bishop's  plate  which  had 
adorned  the  table  at  supper.  He  is  soon  apprehended 
by  the  gendarmes  and  brought  back  to  the  episcopal 
residence,  where  the  good  bishop,  recognizing  the  man's 
temptation  and  desiring  to  protect  him,  leaves  the  im- 
pression on  the  officers  that  he  gave  the  plate  to  Jean 
Valjean,  and  asks  why  he  did  not  take  the  silver  candle- 
sticks, which  were  also  a  present  to  him.  The  gendarmes 
on  this  release  the  man,  and  the  bishop  exclaims,  "Jean 
Valjean,  my  brother,  you  no  longer  belong  to  evil,  but 
to  good.  I  have  bought  your  soul  of  you.  I  withdraw 
it  from  black  thoughts  and  the  spirit  of  perdition,  and 
give  it  to  God."  This  was  the  undoubted  purpose  of 
Jesus  with  the  fallen  woman.  By  His  compassionate 
treatment  of  her  guilty  soul  He  expected  to  prompt  her 
to  a  life  of  purity.  "Hath  no  man  condemned  thee? 
Neither  do  I  condemn  thee:  go,  and  sin  no  more." 

Such  a  method  is  calculated  to  be  effective  in  restor- 
ing men  to  virtue,  by  leading  them  to  repentance  and 
amendment,  if  there  be  any  vestige  of  conscience  in  them. 
Do  you  wish  to  get  the  most  out  of  men  ?  Do  not  punish 
them,  but  pardon  them ;  do  not  curse  them,  but  bless 
them ;  do  not  exact  the  payment  of  an  obligation  from 
them,  but  put  them  under  greater  obligation. 

William  Scott  was  a  soldier  lad  from  a  Vermont 
farm.  He  fell  asleep  at  his  post.  He  had  great  provo- 
cation, for  he  had  been  without  any  rest  for  forty-eight 
hours.  The  army  was  at  Chain  Bridge,  the  neighbor- 
hood was  dangerous,  and  discipline  must  be  kept.  A 
court-martial  sentenced  the  man  to  be  shot.  Then  the 
kind  offices  of  Abraham  Lincoln  were  sought.  The  day 
preceding  the  proposed  execution  the  great-hearted  Presi- 
dent appeared  at  the  tent  of  William  Scott,  and  asked 


JESUS  AND  THE  FALLEN  WOMAN.       205 

him  many  questions  about  himself,  his  family  and  his 
circumstances.  Finally  he  said :  "My  boy,  stand  up  here 
and  look  me  in  the  face.  You  are  not  going  to  be  shot 
to-morrow.  I  believe  you  when  you  tell  me  that  you 
could  not  keep  awake.  I  am  going  to  trust  you  and  send 
you  back  to  your  regim.ent.  But  I  have  been  put  to  a 
good  deal  of  trouble  on  your  account.  I  have  had  to 
come  up  here  from  Washington,  when  I  have  a  great 
deal  to  do;  and  what  I  want  to  know  is,  how  are  you 
going  to  pay  my  bill  ?"  With  his  heart  welling  up  in  his 
throat,  William  Scott  expressed  his  gratitude  in  the  best 
term.s  his  embarrassment  would  permit.  He  said  that  he 
had  not  thought  the  m.atter  out,  it  had  come  upon  him  so 
suddenly,  but  there  was  his  bounty  in  the  savings  bank, 
and  some  money  he  thought  could  be  raised  by  mortgag- 
ing the  farm  at  home.  His  own  pay  was  something, 
and  he  believed  the  boys  of  his  regiment  would  help  him 
a  little  on  pay-day.  Altogether  it  seemed  probable  to 
him  that  five  or  six  hundred  dollars  could  be  made  up, 
if  that  would  be  sufficient.  "But  the  bill  is  a  great  deal 
more  than  that,"  said  Mr.  Lincoln.  Then  the  condemned 
m.an  replied  that,  though  he  did  not  quite  see  his  way 
clear  to  do  it,  he  would — if  he  lived — find  some  plan  for 
paying  the  great  debt.  Then  the  President  put  his  hands 
on  the  shoulders  of  William  Scott,  and  looked  into  his 
face  and  said :  "My  boy,  my  bill  is  a  very  large  one. 
Your  friends  can  not  pay  it,  nor  your  bounty,  nor  the 
farm,  nor  all  your  comrades.  There  is  only  one  man  in 
all  the  world  who  can  pay  it,  and  his  name  is  William 
Scott.  If  from  this  day  William  Scott  does  his  duty,  so 
that  if  I  should  be  present  when  he  came  to  die,  he 
could  look  me  in  the  face  as  he  does  now,  and  say,  I 
have  kept  my  promise,  and  I  have  done  my  duty  as  a 
soldier,  then  my  debt  will  be  paid.  Will  you  make  that 
promise,  and  try  to  keep  it?"  The  promise  was  given, 
and  it  was  kept  nobly.  In  one  of  the  fights  in  the  Pe- 
ninsula William  Scott  fell  wounded  to  the  death,  and 
said  to  his  comrades:  "If  any  of  you  ever  have  the 
chance,  I  wish  you  would  tell  President  Lincoln  that,  I 
have  never  forgotten  the  kind  words  he  said  to  me  at 


206     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Chain  Bridge,  and  now  that  I  am  dying,  I  want  to  thank 
him  again  because  he  gave  me  the  chance  to  fall  like  a 
soldier  in  battle,  and  not  like  a  coward  by  the  hands  of 
my  comrades."  Well  could  Secretary  Stanton  say  of 
Lincoln  as  he  gazed  upon  the  face  of  the  stricken  Presi- 
dent: "There  lies  the  most  perfect  ruler  of  men  who 
ever  lived."  Lincoln  saved  a  life  to  the  nation  by  his 
compassion,  and  that  life  was  freely  poured  out  for  the 
nation  when  the  opportunity  for  sacrifice  presented  itself. 

That  was  Christ's  way  of  redeeming  the  lost.  He 
came  not  to  judge,  not  to  condemn,  but  to  pity,  to  love, 
to  forgive,  to  win  the  erring  to  righteousness.  It  is  the 
way  society  must  learn  to  employ  in  its  treatment  of  the 
depraved  and  dangerous  classes.  No  punishment  must 
be  considered  adequate  which  is  not  remedial  in  its  ob- 
ject. The  meting  out  of  vengeance,  the  protection  of 
society,  the  appeal  to  fear  as  a  deterrent — these  have  no 
sufficient  justification  until  they  are  permeated  with  a 
divine  purpose  to  recover  the  sinner  and  the  criminal 
from  his  frightful  ills.  Love  will  teach  us  how  this  is 
to  be  done. 

Leschetiszky,  the  famous  teacher  of  Paderewski,  will 
never  be  satisfied  until  a  pupil  has  expressed  all  the  senti- 
ment, color,  warmth,  vigor,  and  fire  of  his  nature  in  his 
execution.  He  will  say :  "Your  fingers  run  over  the  keys 
and  say  nothing.  They  are  like  icicles.  Fill  them  with 
love,  with  sympathy!"  What  blunderers  we  are  in  our 
attempts  to  redeem  society  from  the  ills  which  vex  it, 
until  our  natures  have  been  suffused  with  the  love  of 
Christ,  and  our  work  has  been  charged  with  His  divine 


compassion 


XVIII. 
THE  WITNESS  OF  JESUS  CONCERNING  HIMSELF. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  12-59. 

John's  Gospel  shows  us  how  deep  a  sense  Jesus  had  of 
being  a  stranger  on  the  earth. — Beyschlag. 

Continuation  of  the  discussions  at  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles.  (Chap.  VII.)  An  interval  of  perhaps  a 
few  hours.  The  officers  of  the  Sanhedrin  having  made 
their  report,  and  Jesus  having  remained  untouched,  He 
now  resumes  His  discourse,  which  takes  more  distinctly 
the  form  of  a  defense,  and  issues  in  His  utter  rejection 
by  the  hostile  Jews.  The  cumulative  progress  of  Jevv^ish 
enmity  is  seen  in  the  course  of  these  discussions,  begin- 
ning in  Chapters  V  and  VI,  where  Jesus  proceeds  almost 
without  interruption.  In  Chapter  VII  He  is  more  fre- 
quently challenged,  and  in  Chapter  VIII  He  is  stoutly 
resisted  and  contradicted  at  every  point.  In  this  witness 
concerning  Himself,  Jesus  pursues  three  lines  of  ex- 
pression. 

I.  HE  BEARS  TESTIMONY  TO  HIS  OWN  CHARACTER 

(12-20). 

I.  The  Light  of  the  World  (12).  Had  already  used 
one  of  the  miracles  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  water 
from  the  rock  in  the  desert,  suggested  perhaps  by 
the  libations  in  connection  with  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles (vii,  37-39)  ;  now  employs  a  second,  the  pillar 
of  fire,  suggested  possibly  by  the  candelabra  of  the 
Temple.  Both  are  symbolical  of  Himself.  The  fig- 
ure of  light  elsewhere  used  by  John  absolutely  as 
an  expression  of  God's  essential  being  (i  John  i,  5). 
207 


208     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  light  of  the  world  is  a  larger  conception  of 
Christ's  mission  than  even  His  disciples  at  first 
gained.  Following  Him,  like  following  the  pillar 
of  fire,  would  bring  illumination  to  the  path  of  the 
pilgrim.  Light  of  life  signifies  light  that  issues  from 
and  proceeds  to  life. 

3.  The  Testimony  Repudiated  (13).  It  is  personal, 
therefore  unreliable,  retort  the  Jews.  Point  not  well 
taken.  He  knows  Himself.  Light  proves  its  reality 
and  character  by  shining.  Christ  attests  Himself 
by  His  person  and  work.  He  is  conscious  of  Him- 
self. 

3.  Rejection  of  this  Testimony  a  Proof  of  Spiritual 

Dullness  (14,  15).  They  do  not  realize  whence  He 
came.  Their  judgment  is  wholly  carnal,  hence  im- 
perfect. 

4.  Concurrence  of  the  Father's  Testimony  (16-18).    A 

twofold  witnessing  should  be  satisfactory  to  any 
Jew  who  knows  the  law.  Christ  is  one  infallible 
witness,  and  the  Father,  who  has  testified  in  the 
Scriptures,  in  the  voice  from  heaven  and  in  the  con- 
sciences of  men,  is  another. 

5.  Impossibility    of    Knowing    the    Father    Without 

Knowing  Christ  (19).  The  case  is  hopeless.  They 
have  no  spiritual  susceptibilty  qualifying  them  to 
understand  Him.  Yet  He  is  not  silenced,  though 
He  continues  to  teach  within  hearing  of  His  foes, 
for  the  time  of  His  supreme  sacrifice  has  not  yet 
appeared  (20). 

II.  HE  EMPHASIZES  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  HIS  MIS- 
SION (21-30). 

I.  Momentous  Issues  of  His  Earthly  Life  (21).     His 

sojourn  is  brief.  He  must  soon  leave  them.  Whither 
He  goes  they  can  not  come,  because  they  will  not 
believe  in  Him.  Their  sin  makes  His  mission  to 
them  fruitless. 


JESUS  CONCERNING  HIMSELF.  209 

2.  The  Sneer  of  Unbelief  (22).    The  Jews  affirm  that 

if  Jesus  is  going  to  destroy  Himself,  the  only  way 
of  departure  which  in  their  judgment  is  not  equally 
open  to  them,  surely  they  can  not  follow  Him,  for 
suicide  is  the  same  as  murder. 

3.  Spiritual  Distinctions  (23).    The  difference  in  char- 

acter, habits,  thought,  sphere  of  living,  in  Jesus  and 
these  Jews  made  an  infinite  abyss  between  them.. 
Nothing  but  transforming  faith  in  Him  will  ever 
effect  a  harmony  between  them  and  Him,  and  this 
it  is  altogether  unlikelv  they  will  ever  experience 
(24). 

4.  A  Plainer  Revelation  at  Present  Impossible  (25-27). 

They  have  not  spiritual  discernment  enough  even 
to  apprehend  what  has  been  given.  The  very  ques- 
tions they  ask  indicate  this.  When  He  speaks  of  the 
Father  they  utterly  miss  His  meaning. 

5.  The    Fuller   Revelation   by   His    Death    (28,    29). 

When  they  have  crucified  the  Lord,  His  glory  will 
be  more  apparent,  and  they  will  perceive  that  He 
has  been  doing  only  the  Father's  will. 

6.  Results  of  This  Address  3(30) .     Impressed  with  the 

words  of  Jesus,  and  convinced  of  the  importance 
of  His  mission,  some  cast  themselves  upon  Him,  for- 
saking their  own  narrow  views,  and  awaiting  His 
further  disclosures. 

III.  HE  EXPOSES  THE  INFIDELITY  OF  HIS  CRITICS 

(31-59). 

Jesus  now  applies  a  test  to  the  faith  of  those  Jews 
who  yield  assent  to  His  claims,  and  proves  its  weakness. 

1.  Their  Slavery  (31-36).    They  profess  to  be  free,  hav- 

ing liberty  as  a  birthright,  but  Jesus  shows  them 
that  spiritually  they  are  enslaved. 

2.  Their  Disloyalty  (37-40).    They  affirm  that  they  are 

the  true  offspring  of  the  father  of  the  faithful,  but 
Jesus    says,    "If   ye   were    Abraham's    children,    ye 
would  do  the  works  of  Abraham." 
14 


210      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

3.  Their  Iniquity  (41-47).     Professing  to  be  the  chil- 

dren of  God,  they  show  themselves  to  be  the  chil- 
dren of  the  devil  by  their  murderous  intentions. 

4.  Their  Ignorance   (48-58).     Assuming  that  they  are 

wise,  they  betray  their  lack  of  knowledge  by  pro- 
testing that  Jesus  dishonors  Abraham  in  claiming 
power  which  He  could  not  have. 

5.  Their  Brutality   (59).     Seeing  now  that  Jesus  pre- 

sents Himself  not  only  as  the  Messiah,  but  as  Deity, 
and  having  no  sufficient  answer  to  His  claims,  they 
attempt  to  stone  Him  to  death. 


Hymn  No.  304. 

I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 
"I  am  this  dark  world's  light ; 

Look  unto  Me,  thy  morn  shall  rise, 
And  all  thy  day  be  bright!" 

— Horatius  Bonar. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  realize  that  it  is  the  function  of  the  Light 
to  reveal  as  well  as  to  illumine? 

2.  Have  I  sought  the  sinless  Christ  for  the  salvation 
of  my  sinful  soul? 

3.  Has  the  Light  shone  through  me  upon  others  ? 


The  Li^ht  of  the  World. 

"/  am  the  light  of  the  world:  he  that  followeth  Me 
shall  not  walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of 
life." — John  viii,  12. 

No  thoughtful  person  could  meet  these  words  for  the 
first  time  in  mature  life  without  being  profoundly  moved 
by  them.     They  express  an  egotism  of  such  sublimity 


JESUS  CONCERNING  HIMSELF.  211 

that  they  arrest  attention  instantly,  and  provoke  an  in- 
tense interest  in  the  man  who  uttered  them,  Jesus  is  de- 
fending Himself  against  the  misrepresentations  of  His 
enemies,  and  He  does  so  by  opposing  His  own  character 
to  their  willful  unbelief.  He  virtually  says  to  them,  "My 
defense  is  Myself !"  The  Pharisees  are  offended  at  this, 
and  they  seek  to  discredit  His  testimony  because  it  is 
so  personal.  "Thou  bearest  record  of  Thyself ;  Thy 
record  is  not  true."  But  Jesus  declares  the  objection 
cheap  and  groundless.  "Though  I  bear  record  of  Myself, 
yet  My  record  is  true ;  for  I  know  whence  I  come  and 
whither  I  go,  but  ye  can  not  tell  whence  I  come  and 
whither  I  go."  Jesus  is  aware  of  Himself.  He  is  con- 
scious of  His  own  superlative  worth.  That  kind  of  self- 
knowledge  always  characterizes  the  effective  person, 

William  Pitt  said  in  an  hour  when  Englishmen  were 
despondent  over  their  national  decline,  "I  am  sure  that 
I  can  save  this  country,  and  that  nobody  else  can,"  That 
was  at  a  time  when  Lord  Chesterfield  was  moved  to 
write,  "We  are  no  longer  a  nation."  But  no  sooner  had 
Pitt  assumed  control  of  the  government  than  a  happy 
change  in  the  fortunes  of  England  was  observable.  Fred- 
erick the  Great  said,  "England  has  long  been  in  labor, 
and  at  last  she  has  brought  forth  a  man."  Qualified 
to  inspire  other  men  with  the  bravery  that  distinguished 
his  own  actions,  Pitt  became  at  once  the  master  states- 
man of  his  age,  and  "for  the  next  four  years  this  impos- 
ing figure  towers  supreme  in  British  history."  Jesus 
said,  "I  can  save  this  world,  and  no  one  else  can.  I  am 
the  light  of  the  wofld."  He  appealed  to  the  witness  of 
the  Father  as  given  in  the  Scriptures,  as  pronounced 
by  the  voice  from  heaven,  as  expressed  in  His  miracles, 
and  as  recorded  in  the  consciences  of  men  who  listened 
to  His  words. 

He  might  have  appealed  also  to  the  history  which 
would  be  made  through  His  influence  in  the  ages  to 
come.  Most  distinctly  does  the  record  of  the  last  nine- 
teen centuries  justify  His  self-assertiveness.  Lord  Bacon 
inserted  this  sentence  in  his  last  will  and  testament :  "My 
name  and  memory   I  leave  to  foreign  nations,  and  to 


212      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

mine  own  countrymen  after  some  years."  Jesus  could 
have  safely  rested  His  claims  on  the  verdict  of  the  fu- 
ture. He  has  amply  proven  Himself  to  be  the  light 
of  the  world. 

If  Jesus  had  asserted  that  He  exclusively  could  throw 
light  on  every  question  which  pertains  to  the  life  of  the 
world,  it  would  not  have  been  so  easy  to  vindicate  Him. 
For  while  there  is  no  department  of  human  thought  and 
activity  which  His  m.ind  does  not  illumine  when  brought 
mto  relation  with  it.  yet  He  has  offered  no  direct  contri- 
bution to  physical  science,  to  art  and  music,  and  to  the 
specific  problems  which  are  peculiar  to  modern  society. 
He  knew  that  m.en  would  meet  these  things  in  due  time 
with  the  courage  of  those  who  relish  labor,  and  would  find 
joy  in  the  process  of  their  conquest.  But  into  the  dark- 
ness of  the  spiritual  world,  where  lurk  problem.s  which 
no  m.an  can  solve  alone.  He  would  throw  the  only  light 
which  can  scatter  the  night  of  sin  and  selfishness.  He 
is  "the  true  light  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  the  world." 

Other  attempts  there  have  been  to  illuminate  the 
world,  but  they  have  served  the  rather  to  accentuate 
its  darkness.  Plato  affords  us  the  most  impressive  ex- 
ample, but  of  him  the  author  of  Ecce  Deus  has  incis- 
ively written  that  he  gives  "one  the  idea  that  he  under- 
took to  do  the  work  of  a  domestic  gas-fitter.  .  .  .  He 
is  so  minute  as  to  place  a  lamp  at  the  corner  of  every 
street,  at  the  entrance  of  every  house,  and  in  every  room 
of  every  habitation.  .  .  .  Plato  lighted  his  age  with  gas, 
Christ  lighted  the  world  with  the  sun ;  the  one  was  local, 
the  other  universal ;  the  one  changeable,  the  other  perma- 
nent. The  heathen  philosophers  gave  directions,  Christ 
gave  life." 

Thomas  Carlyle,  commenting  in  his  brusque  fashion 
on  Holman  Hunt's  painting  of  Christ  as  the  Light  of 
the  World,  a  picture  with  which  most  persons  are  fa- 
miliar through  manifold  prints,  exclaims.  "You  call  that 
thing,  I  ween,  a  picture  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  a  poor 
mis-shaped  presentation  of  the  noblest,  the  brotherliest, 


JESUS  CONCERNING  HIMSELF.  213 

and  the  most  heroic-minded  Being  that  ever  walked  God's 
earth.  Do  you  suppose  that  Jesus  ever  walked  about 
bedizened  in  priestly  robes  and  a  crown,  and  with  yon 
jewels  on  His  breast,  and  a  gilt  aureole  round  His  head? 
Ne'er  crown  nor  pontifical  robe  did  the  world  e'er  give 
to  such  as  He."  Furthermore  Jesus  does  not  hold  a 
lantern  before  the  world.  He  shines  in  the  world. 
Wherever  He  moves  darkness  vanishes.  His  glory  con- 
sists in  no  outward  circumstance,  but  in  inward  char- 
acter. He  can  not  receive  honor  from  men,  he  can  not 
refrain  from  bestowing  light  upon  men.  He  is  light 
in  Himself.  As  the  cloudy  pillar  which  led  the  Israelites 
through  the  wilderness  was  not  made  luminous  by  some 
reflection,  but  burned  with  its  own  glowing  fire,  so  Jesus 
pours  forth  His  own  self  in  tides  of  holy  radiancy  to 
illumine  the  world.  And  it  is  by  entering  into  the  life 
of  Christ  with  loving  sympathy  and  devout  faith  that 
we  walk  not  in  darkness,  but  have  the  light  of  life. 

The  only  furnishings  which  Epictetus  placed  in  his 
humble  cottage  were  a  cheap  straw  pallet  on  which  he 
slept,  and  a  simple  lamp  which  served  to  cheer  him  at 
night,  and  which  burned  before  the  images  of  his  house- 
hold deities.  It  was  constructed  of  iron,  and  was  the 
nearest  approach  to  luxury  the  poor  philosopher  had  al- 
lowed himself.  A  thief  stole  it,  and  Epictetus  quietly 
said,  "He  will  be  finely  disappointed  when  he  comes 
again,  for  he  will  only  find  an  earthenware  lamp  next 
time."  When  he  died  the  little  earthenware  lamp  was 
bought  by  some  hero-worshiper  for  three  thousand 
drachmas.  The  satirist  Lucian  remarked  upon  this,  "The 
purchaser  hoped  that  if  he  read  philosophy  at  night  by 
that  lamp,  he  would  at  once  acquire  in  dreams  the  wis- 
dom of  the  admirable  old  man  who  once  possessed  it." 

With  a  similar  fatuity  sentimental  persons  fancy  that 
by  merely  basking  in  the  presence  of  Christ  they  can 
attain  the  holiest  life.  But  the  words  of  Jesus  are  ex- 
plicit: "He  that  followeth  Me  .  .  .  shall  have  the  light 
of  life."  The  meaning  of  "followeth"  is  not  obscure. 
No  one  ever  follows  Christ  who  does  not  give  himself  up 
to  the  Lord  of  glory,  who  does  not  yield  his  will  to  the 


214      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

will  of  the  Master.  No  amount  of  study  about  Christ 
can  ever  compensate  for  actual  fellowship  with  Christ. 
The  birds  of  the  air  instinctively  follow  the  light 
of  their  life.  Nearly  all  of  them,  as  Michelet  says,  "live 
in  the  sun,  fill  themselves  with  it,  or  are  inspired  by  it. 
Those  of  the  south  carry  its  reflected  radiance  on  their 
wings ;  those  of  colder  climates  in  their  songs ;  many  of 
them  follow  it  from  land  to  land."  This  is  a  parable 
of  the  spiritual  life.  The  divine  instincts  of  the  soul 
prompt  all  who  love  the  truth  to  seek  perpetual  com- 
munion with  Christ. 

"So  late  as  the  year  1842,"  says  Alfred  Russel  Wal- 
lace, "the  French  mathematician  and  philosopher  Comte 
declared  that  all  study  of  the  fixed  stars  was  a  waste  of 
time,  because  their  distance  was  so  great  that  we  could 
never  learn  anything  about  them."  But  that  was  before 
the  application  of  spectrum  analysis  to  the  problems  in- 
volved. With  the  use  of  the  spectroscope  the  distant 
worlds  have  been  brought  into  the  very  hands  of  the 
investigator.  More  than  this,  "it  has  been  possible,"  as 
Carl  Snyder  says,  "to  detect,  locate,  map,  measure,  and 
even  weigh  vast  objects  that  affect  no  human  sense.  Of 
all  the  triumphs  of  the  scientific  method,  there  is  none 
more  striking." 

The  philosophers  of  the  world  have  often  affirmed 
that  God  must  forever  remain  unknown  and  unknowable, 
and  that  to  search  for  Him  would  always  be  a  bootless 
task.  But  with  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  among  men 
the  revelation  of  God  has  been  focused  to  our  earthly 
vision.  "This,  then,  is  the  message  which  we  have  heard 
of  Him,  and  declare  unto  you,  that  God  is  light,  and  in 
Him  is  no  darkness  at  all,"  writes  the  apostle  John. 
"I  am  the  light  of  the  world."  announces  Jesus.  Those 
who  behold  Him  with  open  eyes  joyously  assert  the 
identification  is  complete.  "Before  Abraham  was  I  am," 
says  Jesus.  "All  things  were  made  by  Him,  and  with- 
out Him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made,"  writes 
John.    Before  the  words,  "L<et  there  be  light !"  rang  over 


JESUS  CONCERNING  HIMSELF.  215 

the  primeval  chaos,  He  who  is  Light  had  been  shining 
from  eternity.  The  smoking  torches,  the  smoldering 
fires,  the  trembling  luminaries  that  man  has  set  in  his 
sky  will  one  day  disappear  in  unfathomable  night.  But 
the  Light  of  the  World  will  flood  the  universe  forever. 

What  wonders  have  been  disclosed  in  the  properties 
of  that  matter  which  is  called  radium,  with  its  power  to 
go  on  gleaming  with  a  pale  phosphorescent  light,  it  would 
seem  indefinitely.  It  has  been  estimated  that  a  micro- 
scopic speck  of  this  marvelous  substance  "is  capable  of 
sending  out  a  stream  of  fiery  particles  for  thirty  thou- 
sand years."  A  radium  electroscope  has  been  invented 
which  is  calculated  to  continue  automatically  ringing  a 
bell  for  that  period  of  time.  Under  the  microscope, 
within  a  cylinder  from  which  all  other  light  is  excluded, 
the  eye  sees  a  miniature  universe  flashing  with  tiny  stars, 
which  pour  forth  their  scintillations  with  unwearying 
rapidity.  Yet  no  scientist  is  rash  enough  to  contend  that 
these  points  of  light  will  not  some  time  fade  into  invisi- 
bility. 

But  the  Light  of  the  World  is  absolutely  inexhaust- 
ible. Calculations  concerning  His  energy  are  beyond  the 
range  of  thought.  From  everlasting  to  everlasting  He  is 
God.  The  development  of  processes  for  turning  night 
into  day  has  made  a  fascinating  chapter  in  the  history  of 
civilization.  Nor  has  the  end  of  achievement  in  this  di- 
rection yet  been  attained.  The  function  of  culture  in 
enlightening  society  has  been  of  high  consequence,  and 
the  intellectual  life  of  the  world  will  reach  still  loftier 
summits  through  the  ministry  of  education.  But  the 
moral  and  spiritual  hope  of  humanity  centers  in  Him 
who  called  Himself  the  "Light  of  the  World." 

Eternity  will  reveal  no  other  source  of  illumination. 
John  saw  the  celestial  world  in  vision  too  wonderful  for 
human  words  to  describe,  and  too  sublime  for  human 
thought  to  comprehend.  Out  of  that  apocalypse  we  read, 
"The  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon, 
to  shine  in  it;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and 
the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.  And  the  nations  of  them 
which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it." 


XIX. 
HEALING  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

This  is  the  unique,  tender,  genuine  chief  Gospel.    .    . 
Should  a  tyrant  succeed  in  destroying  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  only  a  single  copy  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  and 
the   Gospel  according  to  John  escape   him,  Christianity 
would  be  saved. — Luther, 

This  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  John's  favorite 
method  of  exhibiting  side  by  side  the  development  of 
belief  and  unbelief.  Here  the  Pharisees  are  represented 
as  becoming  more  determined  and  malicious  in  their  en- 
mity to  Jesus,  while  the  blind  man  is  seen  steadily  grow- 
ing in  confidence  and  clearness  of  faith  until  he  openly 
confesses  his  trust  in  the  Son  of  God.  The  chapter  di- 
vides naturally  into  (i)  the  Sign,  (2)  the  Inquisition, 
(3)  the  Issue. 

I.  THE  SIGN  (l=ia.) 

I.  Prelude  to  the  Sign  (1-5).  Descending  the  Temple 
steps,  Jesus  is  confronted  by  the  blind  beggar.  Prob- 
lem suggested  by  the  fact  of  his  having  been  born 
blind.  Is  any  one's  sin  involved  in  this  misfortune? 
The  same  problem  considered  in  the  book  of  Job. 
Question  as  old  as  human  suffering.  The  negative 
of  Jesus,  Calamity  not  a  certain  mark  of  sin.  Great 
sinners  often  suffer  least,  great  saints  most.  Surely 
no  sin  of  this  man  could  be  responsible  for  his  mis- 
fortune; he  was  born  blind.  The  sin  of  parents 
visited  upon  their  children — a  fact  of  observation — 
will  not  account  for  this  case,  Jesus  declares.  "That 
216 


HEALING  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.   217 

the  works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  Him." 
Christ's  opportunity.  "The  light  of  the  world."  A 
spiritual  interpretation  in  anticipation  of  the  sign. 

2.  The  Sign  Given  (6,  7).    Means  used.    A  test  of  faith. 

The  probable  sensations  of  the  man.  Jesus  selects 
a  common  remedy — both  spittle  and  clay  being  re- 
garded as  helpful  in  such  cases — and  imparts  a 
power  not  contained  in  either.  "It  is  easier  to  be- 
lieve when  means  can  be  perceived ;  it  is  still  easier 
when  the  means  seem  to  be  appropriate."  {Plum- 
mer.)     The  washing  in  Siloam  brings  sight. 

3.  The  Effect  of  the  Sign  (8-12).    Astonishment  of  the 

witnesses.  Curiosity  to  know:  (i)  Is  this  actually 
the  man  born  blind?  (2)  How  was  the  wonder  of 
his  healing  accomplished?  (3)  Where  is  the  man 
who  did  it?    Answers  to  these  questions. 

II.  THE  INQUISITION  (13-34). 

Friends  and  neighbors  bring  the  man  to  the  Pharisees, 
not  before  the  Sanhedrin,  but  probably  to  one  of  the 
lesser  synagogue  councils. 

1.  The  Man's  First  Examination  (13-17).    The  miracle 

had  been  wrought  on  the  Sabbath  day.  Other  Sab- 
bath miracles:  Withered  hand  (Matt,  xii,  9),  De- 
moniac at  Capernaum  (Mark  i,  21),  Simon's 
mother-in-law  (Mark  i,  29),  Woman  bowed  down 
eighteen  years  (Luke  xiii,  11),  Man  with  dropsy 
(Luke  xiv,  2),  Paralytic  at  Bethesda  (John  v,  i-io). 
Three  questions  are  put  to  the  man:  (i)  How  did 
you  receive  your  sight?  Man  repeats  the  story 
briefly.  (2)  How  could  a  Sabbath-breaker  perform 
such  a  miracle?  The  man  does  not  answer,  and  the 
inquisitors  are  divided  among  themselves  by  this 
question.  (3)  What  sort  of  character  do  you  say 
He  is?    "A  prophet,"  is  the  ready  answer, 

2.  An  Examination  of  the  Parents  (18=23).    Pharisees 

go  back  to  the  fact  of  the  miracle  which  they  pro- 
fess not  to  believe  occurred.    Three  questions  are 


218     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  TOHN. 

put  to  them:  (i)  Is  this  your  son?  (2)  Was  he 
born  Wind?  (3)  How  does  he  now  see?  The  re- 
pHes  of  the  parents  show  timidity.  They  fear  ex- 
communication. Throw  the  inquiry  back  upon  the 
son,  whom  they  claim  as  their  own,  and  who  they 
assert  was  certainly  born  bhnd.  "He  is  of  age ;  ask 
him ;  he  shall  speak  for  himself."  Distinguish  forms 
of  excommunication. 

3.  The  Man's  Final  Examination  and  Expulsion 
(24-34).  The  Pharisees  resort  to  a  pious  trick.  Let 
God  be  praised,  but  let  this  man  who  breaks  the 
Sabbath  be  condemned.  The  man's  certainty  of  the 
miracle,  despite  his  uncertainty  of  the  miracle- 
worker's  character.  Request  for  another  recital  of 
the  manner  of  the  miracle.  The  man's  ironical  re- 
sponse. Perhaps  his  inquisitors  are  ready  to  be 
won  over  to  discipleship  by  the  repetition  of  the  tale. 
Abuse  substituted  for  argument.  They  revile  the 
man.  His  sturdy  defense  and  growing  confidence 
in  Jesus.  The  man's  ultimatum,  and  the  discomfi- 
ture of  the  Pharisees.  An  explosion  of  impotent 
wrath.  The  man's  expulsion  an  illustration  of  the 
words  of  Jesus  (Luke  vi,  22). 

III.  THE  ISSUE  (35-41). 

1.  In  the  Case  of  the  Man  (35-38).     Spiritual  sight. 

Jesus  finds  the  expelled  man,  and  asks  if  he  is  ready 
to  believe  on  the  Son  of  God.  He  answers  that  he 
is  whenever  he  can  discover  Him.  Jesus  reveals 
Himself  as  the  object  of  his  quest,  and  the  man  pays 
Him  divine  honors.  Thus,  as  to  the  outcast  Sa- 
maritan woman,  so  to  the  expelled  Jew,  Jesus  reveals 
Himself  more  clearly  than  He  had  yet  done  to  His 
own  disciples. 

2.  In  the   Case  of  the  Pharisees   (39-41).     Spiritual 

blindness.  The  judgment  of  Christ's  mission.  The 
blind  see,  the  seeing  become  blind.  Those  who  know 
they  are  blind,  and  desire  their  sight,  Tind  it  in 
Christ.     Those  who  fancy  they  see,  and  reject  the 


HEALING  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.    219 

help  of  the  sight-giver,  fall  into  blindness.  Such 
pass  sentence  on  themselves.  Because  they  do  see 
enough  to  bring  them  salvation,  and  refuse  the 
light  they  have,  sin  remains  with  them.  If  they  were 
actually  ignorant  they  would  not  be  held  guilty. 


Hymn  No.  312. 

O  happy  day,  that  fixed  my  choice 
On  Thee,  my  Savior  and  my  God ! 

Well  may  this  glowing  heart  rejoice. 
And  tell  its  raptures  all  abroad. 

— Philip  Doddridge. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Have  I  the  blind  man's  reason  for  believing  in 
Christ? 

2.  Have  I  Christ's  reason  for  Christian  service? 

3.  Is  Christ  my  sufficient  light? 


The  Ground  of  Certitude. 

"One  thing  I  know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now 
I  see." — John  ix,  25. 

Justin  Martyr  was  thrown  into  prison  for  his  bold 
proclamation  of  faith  in  Christ.  When  the  Stoic  minister 
of  the  Emperor  Aurelius  jocosely  asked  him,  "Do  you 
imagine  that  after  your  head  is  cut  off  you  will  go 
straight  to  heaven?"  Justin  replied,  "Imagine  it?  I  know 
it."  The  ground  of  this  confidence  was  the  conscious- 
ness of  spiritual  fellowship  with  Christ.  When  Ignatius 
of  Antioch  was  brought  before  the  emperor  Trajan  for 
the  crime  of  being  a  Christian,  he  gave  his  name  as 
Theophorus.  "And  who  is  Theophorus  ?"  asked  the  mon- 
arch. "He  who  carries  Christ  in  his  heart,"  was  the 
reply.  "Do  you  speak  of  him  who  was  crucified  under 
Pontius  Pilate?"  asked  Trajan.     "I  speak  of  Him  who 


220      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

bore  my  sins  on  the  cross,"  said  Ignatius.  *'Do  you  then 
bear  the  crucified  within  yourself?"  he  was  asked.  "I 
do,"  said  he,  "for  it  is  written,  'I  will  dwell  in  them.'  " 
This  is  what  Chalmers  used  to  call  the  portable  evidence 
of  Christianity.  It  rests  on  as  good  philosophic  basis 
as  any  other  testimony  of  the  consciousness.  Said  Eman- 
uel Kant,  "My  belief  in  God  and  in  another  world  is  so 
interwoven  with  my  moral  nature,  that  I  am  under  as 
little  apprehension  of  having  the  former  torn  from  me 
as  of  losing  the  latter."  When  Samuel  Johnson  was  dis- 
cussing the  doctrine  of  necessity  with  Boswell  one  day, 
he  said,  "Sir,  we  know  that  our  will  is  free,  and  there  's 
an  end  on  't."  John  says,  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
of  God  has  the  witness  in  himself."  There  is  no  better 
proof  of  Christianity  than  this.  It  is  the  spiritual  coun- 
terpart of  the  blind  man's  physical  experience,  "One 
thing  I  know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I  see." 


Very  much  of  our  knowledge  we  are  compelled  to 
/  take  at  second  hand,  and  we  never  dream  of  protesting 
/  that  this   is   an   unreasonable   requirement.     You   have 
/  never  worked  out  a  table  of  logarithms.    The  mathema- 
/    ticians  have  done  that  for  you,  and  if  you  have  knowl- 
/    edge  enough  to  use  the  results  of  their  labor,  you  do  so 
/     without  calling  in  question  their  accuracy.     You  have 
/      never  ascertained  the  specific   gravity  of  all  the   sub- 
1      stances  in  the  world.    The  physicists  have  done  that  for 
I       you,  and  you  take  their  work  on  trust  and  are  grateful 
for  it.     You  have  not  visited  the  coral  islands  of  the 
Southern  seas,  but  others  have,  and  you  accept  their  de- 
scriptions as  reliable.    In  the  same  way  it  is  your  custom 
to  receive  information  about  exploration,  history,  science, 
and  current  life,  and  to  credit  it  without  scruple.     You 
call  it  knowledge  with  as  much  assurance,   as  though 
you  were  the  one  and  only  person   who  had   secured 
precise  results  on  these  subjects  from  personal  investi- 
gation. 

The  spiritual  life  described  by  Christianity,  however, 
is  a  matter  of  personal  experience,  and  not  of  academic 


HEALING  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.    221 

instruction.  It  is  true  that  a  predisposition  in  its  favor 
is  created  by  the  traditions  of  your  ancestry,  and  the 
testimony  of  your  associates.  The  teachings  of  the  Bible 
also  re-enforce  the  instincts  of  your  soul.  But  you  are 
never  sure  in  religion  until  all  that  you  have  been  taught 
has  been  confirmed  by  personal  investigation,  not  alone 
through  processes  of  reason,  though  these  are  valuable. 
but  also  through  the  processes  of  the  heart,  which  are 
reasonable  in  their  character.  You  do  not  argue  your- 
self into  the  love  of  anybody  or  anything.  The  object 
of  your  affection  simply  fills  the  whole  orb  of  your  vis- 
ion, and  that  is  quite  sufficient.  You  do  not  reason  your- 
self into  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  But  having  launched  your 
soul  upon  the  sea  of  His  love,  you  come  to  know  Him. 
whom  to  know  aright  is  life  eternal.  The  m.ethod  be- 
comes reasonable  as  soon  as  it  has  resulted  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  God  through  Christ. 

It  is  difficult  to  determine  who  enjoys  a  musical  com- 
position the  more — the  educated  musician  who  sees  the 
scientific  relation  of  every  concord,  the  mathematical  law 
of  every  movem.ent ;  or  the  common  m.an  without  tech- 
nical knowledge,  who  has  a  passion  for  melody,  and  who 
simply  opens  his  soul  to  the  divine  flood  of  sound,  and 
lets  his  entire  being  be  deluged  with  rapture.  It  is 
equally  uncertain  who  has  the  deeper  realization  of  the 
joys  of  religion:  the  man  who  has  carefully  analyzed 
doctrinal  systems,  and  has  finally  attached  himself  to 
Jesus  Christ  because  the  necessities  of  his  reason  have 
required  him  to  do  so ;  or  that  m.an  who  out  of  his  passion 
for  righteousness  has  simply  turned  his  soul  toward  the 
divine  Spirit  and  has  been  overswept  by  tides  of  relig- 
ious feeling.  Each  is  satisfied,  and  each  is  convinced, 
and  that  is  enough,  "I  do  n't  know  how  it  was  done," 
said  the  blind  man  to  his  tormentors.  "But  one  thing 
I  do  know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I  see." 

The  blind  man  in  this  story  expresses  his  certitude  in 
four  assertions.  First  certainty :  "I  am  the  man."  When 
the  miracle  had  been  wrought  upon  him,  and  the  neigh- 


222      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

bors  had  asked  one  another,  "Is  not  this  he  that  sat  and 
begged?"  and  some  had  repHed,  "This  is  he,"  while 
others  had  said,  "He  is  like  him,"  he  set  the  whole  in- 
quiry at  rest  by  exclaiming,  "I  am  he."  If  a  man  can 
not  be  sure  of  his  identity,  he  can  not  be  certain  of  any- 
thing. His  parents  were  ready  to  swear  that  he  was 
the  son  who  had  been  born  blind.  Further  than  that 
they  would  not  go.  "He  is  of  age;  ask  him:  he  shall 
speak  for  himself."  They  appealed  to  the  court  of  last 
resort. 

Second  certainty :  "I  have  my  sight.  I  am  the  same 
man  changed."  If  a  man  does  not  recognize  his  own 
state  of  consciousness,  he  does  not  know  anything.  Hot 
or  cold,  sick  or  well,  weak  or  strong,  happy  or  miser- 
able, every  man  must  know  himself  to  be,  if  he  knows 
anything. 

Third  certainty :  "He  who  did  this  is  divine.  Since 
the  world  began  was  it  not  heard  that  any  man  opened 
the  eyes  of  one  that  was  born  blind.  If  this  man  were 
not  of  God,  He  could  do  nothing."  That  is  a  legitimate 
inference  from  the  facts  in  hand. 

Fourth  certainty :  "He  is  the  Son  of  God."  Cast  out 
by  the  Pharisees,  Jesus  finds  him,  and  says,  "Dost  thou 
believe  on  the  Son  of  God?"  He  answers,  "Who  is  He', 
Lord,  that  I  might  believe  on  Him?"  Jesus  declares, 
"Thou  hast  both  seen  Him,  and  it  is  He  that  talketh 
with  thee."  And  the  man  exclaims,  "Lord,  I  believe." 
That  was  a  proper  result  from  all  that  had  preceded. 

Surely  these  convictions  are  possibilities  in  the  ex- 
perience of  every  man  who  is  made  the  object  of  Christ's 
transforming  grace.  "I  am  the  man,"  "I  am  that  man 
changed,"  "He  who  wrought  the  change  is  divine,"  "i 
acknowledge  Him  as  my  Lord." 


The  starting  point  of  all  religious  experience  is  con- 
science, that  faculty  in  man's  nature  which  determines 
moral  values,  which  erects  a  standard  of  righteousness 
and  inexorably  demands  that  conduct  shall  measure  up 
to  it,  which  enables  a  man  to  know  without  laws  on  the 


HEALING  OF  THE  MAN  BORN  BLIND.   223 

statute  books  that  theft  and  arson  and  murder  are  in- 
herently wrong,  no  matter  who  may  say  they  are  right, 
and  that  they  are  not  made  any  more  wicked  by  the  fact 
that  they  are  under  the  ban  of  the  law.  Conscience 
stands  censor  over  the  inmost  self,  and  no  man  disregards 
it  without  suffering  penalties  of  which  he  is  aware. 

But  what  gives  conscience  its  terrible  authority  over 
the  soul  ?  The  conviction  that  back  of  this  moral  stand- 
ard, which  the  soul  can  not  escape,  is  a  divine  Person 
who  is  responsible  for  its  existence.  As  John  Henry 
Newman  says,  "If,  as  is  the  case,  we  feel  responsibility, 
are  ashamed,  are  frightened,  at  transgressing  the  voice 
of  conscience,  this  implies  that  there  is  One  to  whom 
we  are  responsible,  before  whom  we  are  ashamed,  whose 
claims  upon  us  we  fear." 

Convinced  of  the  existence  of  God,  and  of  His  eternal 
righteousness,  a  man  brings  his  mind  to  the  story  of  the 
Son  of  man  as  recorded  in  the  New  Testament.  He  may 
not  be  greatly  impressed  by  the  supernatural  elements 
in  that  narrative,  but  he  will  be  profoundly  moved  by 
the  manifestation  of  goodness  in  the  character  of  its  hero. 
Gradually  the  effect  of  his  study  will  be  an  intense  ad- 
miration for  this  pure  and  holy  person.  At  length  a 
sudden  conviction  will  seize  his  soul  that  He  who  exhibits 
such  perfections  can  be  no  less  than  God  manifest  in 
the  flesh. 

Now  everything  else  follows  of  necessity.  You  say 
that  Jesus  came  into  the  world  by  a  miraculous  birth. 
What  is  your  evidence?  Evidence?  The  wonder  is  that 
He  came  at  all.  But  having  come,  the  manner  of  His 
advent  can  not  be  too  marvelous  to  be  incredible.  You 
say  that  He  wrought  miracles.  Where  is  your  evidence? 
Evidence?  The  surprising  thing  is  that,  being  what  He 
was  He  could  confine  Himself,  with  such  amazing  self- 
restraint,  to  so  few  exhibitions  of  supernatural  power. 
You  say  that  He  rose  from  the  dead.  What  is  your  evi- 
dence? Evidence?  The  marvelous  thing  is  that  He 
should  die  at  all,  but  having  died,  it  was  inevitable  that 
He  should  rise  from  the  tomb.  How  could  death  hold 
Himf    You  say  that  He  ascended  to  Heaven.    Where  is 


224     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

your  evidence?  Evidence?  The  wonder  is  that  He 
could  remain  on  the  earth  so  long.  One  would  suppose 
that  the  gravitation  of  His  character  would  send  Him 
aloft  the  moment  His  foot  had  touched  this  planet. 
There  are  no  incredibilities  in  the  story  of  Deity. 

Convinced  that  Christ  is  God,  a  man  trusts  himself 
to  the  Lord  of  life  and  finds  his  character  transformed 
by  the  renewing  of  his  grace.  He  says,  "I  am  the  same 
man,  but  I  am  a  changed  man.  Whereas  I  was  blind, 
now  I  see."  Can  there  be  any  better  evidence  than  this 
of  the  truth  of  religion  ? 

Mr.  Ruskin  in  a  letter  to  his  father  relates  his  ex- 
perience in  the  following  way:  "I  resolved  that  I  would 
believe  in  Christ  and  take  Him  for  my  Master  in  what- 
/  ever  I  did ;  that  assuredly  to  disbelieve  the  Bible  was 
quite  as  difficult  as  to  believe  it;  that  there  were  mys- 
teries either  way;  and  that  the  best  mystery  was  that 
which  gave  Christ  for  a  Master,  And  when  I  had  done 
this  ...  I  felt  a  peace  and  spirit  in  me  I  had  never 
known  before,  at  least  to  the  same  extent ;  and  every- 
thing has  seemed  to  go  right  with  me  ever  since,  all 
discouragements  and  difficulties  vanishing,  even  in  the 
smallest  things." 


XX. 
THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD. 

CHAPTER  X.  1-21. 

We  may  presume  then  to  say  that  the  Gospels  are  the 
first  fruits  of  all  the  Scriptures,  and  the  first  fruits  of  the 
Gospels  is  that  of  John,  into  whose  meaning  no  man  can 
enter  unless  he  has  reclined  upon  the  bosom  of  Jesus. 

— Origetu 

Introduction. 

Jesus  has  previously  used  the  Brazen  Serpent  (iii, 
14),  the  Manna  (vi,  50),  the  Rock  (vii,  37),  and  the 
Pillar  of  Fire  (viii,  12)  as  symbols  of  Himself.  He 
now  employs  the  figures  of  the  Shepherd  and  the  Door 
for  the  same  purpose.  These  He  works  out  more  elab- 
orately into  allegories,  and  together  with  the  Vine  (xv, 
1-8)  they  constitute  the  only  examples  of  their  kind  in 
the  Gospels,  and  they  are  confined  to  this  book.  They 
seem  to  occupy  in  this  Gospel  a  place  similar  to  that 
filled  by  the  parables  in  the  other  Gospels.  The  latter, 
however,  usually  illustrate  the  operations  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  rather  than  the  relations  of  individual  be- 
lievers to  Christ.  The  simile  of  the  Good  Shepherd  is 
indicated  in  the  other  Gospels  as  follows:  in  the  parable 
of  the  Lost  Sheep  (Matt,  xviii,  12,  13;  Luke  xv,  4-7), 
and  in  such  passages  as  Matt,  ix,  36 ;  xi,  28,  29 ;  xv,  24. 

There  is  an  evident  relation  between  this  allegory 
and  the  case  of  the  blind  man  recorded  in  the  preceding 
chapter.  The  treatment  accorded  him  by  the  Pharisees, 
as  contrasted  with  the  attitude  of  Jesus,  shows  clearly  the 
difference  between  false  teachers  and  the  one  true 
Teacher. 

The  allegory  is  presented  in  a  somewhat  mixed  form. 
IS  225 


226     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  conception  of  the  Door  is  thrown  into  view  at  the 
very  beginning,  but  is  not  treated  specifically  until  after 
the  general  characteristics  of  the  Shepherd  have  been 
considered.  Even  in  the  allegory  of  the  Door  there  is 
an  anticipation  of  the  fuller  interpretation  of  the  alle- 
gory of  the  Shepherd.  Hence  there  is  a  mingling  of 
pictures  here.  While  the  Door  and  the  Shepherd  aijfe 
two  distinct  figures,  yet  Jesus  appropriates  them  both  to 
Himself.  Logic  is  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  essential 
truth.  In  both  types  He  announces  Himself  as  the  su- 
preme authority  in  spiritual  matters.  "In  relation  to  the 
fold  Christ  is  the  door ;  in  relation  to  the  flock  He  is  the 
good  shepherd."    (Westcott.) 

I.  THE  SHEPHERD  (1-6). 

The  teaching  here  is  somewhat  general.  The  marks 
of  distinction  between  the  shepherd  and  the  robber  are 
sharply  drawn  before  the  application  of  the  allegory  to 
Jesus  is  made.  The  shepherd  is  known :  ( i )  By  the  fact 
that  he  uses  the  one  proper  entrance  (i,  2).  The 
use  of  any  other  method  indicates  plunder  and  not  pro- 
tection. Oriental  sheep-folds  are  open  at  the  top,  and 
are  simply  surrounded  by  walls  or  palisades.  A  single 
door  gives  entrance  to  both  sheep  and  shepherd.  The 
brigand  and  petty  sheep-stealer  will  approach  from  some 
other  quarter  if  not  discovered.  The  fold  is  the  Church 
universal.  The  sheep  are  believers.  The  shepherds  are 
their  spiritual  leaders,  who  use  the  one  door.  (2)  By 
the  fact  that  the  porter  opens  to  him  is  the  shepherd 
known  (3).  There  are  many  flocks  in  the  one  fold. 
Hence  there  are  many  shepherds.  The  porter  will  give 
admittance  to  those  whom  he  recognizes  as  shepherds. 
The  figure  of  the  porter  is  indeterminate.  It  is  not  to 
be  explained  precisely  of  the  Father,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
Moses,  John  the  Baptist,  or  any  single  agency,  but  rather 
generally  of  any  or  all  means  by  which  men  are  brought 
to  Christ.  It  is  wiser  not  to  press  any  point  too  far  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  allegory,  but  to  confine  the  mind 
to  essentials.  (3)  The  shepherd  is  also  distinguished  by 
the  fact  that  he  is  recognized  by  the  sheep  (3-5).    He 


THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD.  227 

calleth  them  by  name.  They  hear  his  voice,  and  follow 
him.  A  stranger  they  will  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from 
his  voice.  (4)  The  shepherd  is  recognized  by  his  man- 
ner with  the  sheep.  He  exercises  peculiar  care  over 
them.  He  leadeth  them  forth.  He  putteth  them  out 
to  find  pasture.  He  goeth  before  them  (3,  4).  In 
all  these  characterizations  Jesus  points  to  the  false  teach- 
ers.    From  this  point  Jesus  takes  up  the  interpretation. 

II.  THE  DOOR  (7-10). 

As  this  is  the  first  item  in  the  picture,  it  is  first  con- 
sidered. The  relation  of  the  shepherd  to  the  flock  is 
dropped  for  the  moment,  and  the  office  of  the  door  is 
taken  up.  "I  am  the  door,"  in  contrast  with  others  who 
made  false  conditions  of  entrance.  The  reason  for  their 
conduct  is  seen  in  their  motive.  They  are  plunderers, 
not  saviors.  "All  .  .  .  before  me"  refers  to  the  mur- 
derous teachers,  seeking  to  steal,  kill,  and  destroy,  who 
now  had  their  representatives  all  about  Him,  and  who 
were  the  curse  of  the  nation.  They  had  hearers,  but  not 
sheep.  The  door  provides  opportunity  for  freedom. 
They  who  use  it  come  in  for  shelter,  go  out  for  pasture, 
and  find  perpetual  salvation.  For  Christ  gives  life  in 
abundance.  Verse  10  marks  the  transition  to  the  picture 
of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

III.  THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD  (11-18). 

I.  Parallel  Uses  of  the  Type.     In  the  Old  Testament 

the  figure  is  used  to  illustrate  the  relation  of  Jehovah 
to  His  people,  and  in  a  subordinate  sense  of  true 
teachers  and  guides  of  Israel,  as  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment it  symbolizes  the  relation  of  Christ  and  His 
apostles  to  the  Church.  Compare  Psa.  xxiii;  Isa. 
xi,  II ;  Jer.  xxiii;  Ezek.  xxxiv;  xxxvii,  24;  Zech. 
xi,  7;  Psa.  Ixxx.  I.  Christ  thus  identifies  Himself 
with  the  Shepherd-God.  The  influence  of  the  figure 
on  music,  art,  poetry,  and  devotional  literature  gen- 
erally is  very  wide  and  persistent. 


228      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

2.  Christ  Fulfills  the  Type.    The  word  rendered  "good" 

is  more  precisely  "beautiful;"  but  with  the  Greeks 
the  word  "beauty"  is  significant  of  "goodness," 
which  is  the  highest  moral  beauty.  The  beautiful 
features  of  the  Good  Shepherd  are,  (i)  that  He 
seeks  the  welfare  of  the  sheep  and  risks  His  life  for 
their  protection  (ii),  in  this  respect  differing 
from  the  hireling  (12,  13);  (2)  that  there  is  a 
mutual  understanding  between  the  sheep  and  the 
Shepherd  (14,  15);  and  (3)  that  the  Good  Shep- 
herd is  universal  Lord,  having  souls  everywhere 
which  are  bound  to  Him  by  an  eternal  interest  (16). 
For  all  His  sheep  He  lays  down  His  life. 

3.  Christ  Glorifies  the  Type.    He  voluntarily  gives  Him- 

self to  this  beautiful  office.  The  Father  loves  Him 
for  His  sacrifice.  From  the  Father  He  has  received 
authority  to  perform  this  devotion.  It  carries  with 
it  the  power  of  resurrection  (17,  18). 

CONCLUSION   (19-21). 

As  on  former  occasions,  so  now  there  was  a  division 
of  the  Jews  because  of  this  teaching.  Again,  as  here- 
tofore, Jesus  was  charged  with  having  a  demon.  The 
people  were  urged  to  place  no  dependence  upon  His 
words.  But  some  retorted  that  His  words  were  not 
those  of  a  demented  person,  and  insisted  that  a  man 
possessed  of  an  evil  spirit  could  not  have  healed  the 
blind  man.  Here  belief  and  unbelief  are  strongly  con- 
trasted after  John's  customary  method. 


Hymn  No.  677. 

Savior,  like  a  shepherd  lead  us. 

Much  we  need  Thy  tenderest  care ; 
In  Thy  pleasant  pastures  feed  us. 
For  our  use  Thy  folds  prepare. 

— Unknown. 

Personal  Questions: 

1.  Is  there  mutual  recognition  between  the  Shepherd 
and  myself? 

2.  Do  I  hear  His  voice  and  follow  Him  ? 


THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD.  229 

Salvation  Through  Sympathy. 

/  am  the  good  shepherd;  and  I  know  mine  own,  and 
my  07vn  know  me,  even  as  the  Father  knoweth  me,  and 
I  know  the  Father;  and  I  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sheep. 
— John  x,  14,  15.    Revised  Version. 

When  the  old  German  emperor  William,  at  ninety-one 
years  of  age,  lay  on  his  bed  calmly  awaiting  the  end  of 
life,  his  wife  and  family  and  ministers  of  state  being 
around  him,  the  court  preacher  offered  prayer  and  read 
the  familiar  words  of  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  "The 
Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want,"  and  so  follow- 
ing. The  dying  Kaiser  listened  attentively,  and  said, 
"That  is  wonderful !"  Then  he  fell  into  a  slumber  from 
which  he  did  not  wake.  The  gracious  Shepherd  had  led 
him  to  green  pastures  and  beside  still  waters. 

Did  Jesus,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
Old  Testament,  have  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  in  His 
mind  when  He  employed  this  beautiful  symbolism?  He 
was  born  at  Bethlehem,  near  the  spot  where  David  prob- 
ably composed  this  lovely  lyric.  He  would  often  see  the 
shepherd  and  his  flock,  would  observe  the  close  relation 
between  them,  and  would  quickly  perceive  the  fitness  of 
the  shepherd  type  to  his  own  mission.  He  commissioned 
the  restored  Peter  with  the  words,  "Feed  My  sheep," 
a  charge  descriptive  of  the  highest  functions  of  the  pas- 
tor. The  bishop's  crozier  is  the  shepherd's  crook.  Peter 
never  forgot  the  figure.  To  his  fellows  he  said,  "Ye 
were  as  sheep  going  astray,  but  are  now  returned  unto 
the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls."  To  the  elders 
he  wrote,  "Feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is  among  you, 
taking  the  oversight  thereof,  not  by  constraint,  but  wil- 
lingly ;  not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind ;  neither 
as  being  lords  over  God's  heritage,  but  being  ensamples 
to  the  flock.  And  when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  appear, 
ye  shall  receive  a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away." 
Church  dignitaries  have  often  been  admonished  to  feed, 
not  fleece,  the  flock.  Temporal  rulers  have  been  desig- 
nated shepherds.    The  meaning  of  the  figure  is  not  ob- 


230     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

scure.  Twentieth  century  civilization,  though  largely 
segregated  in  cities,  is  not  so  far  away  from  pastoral  life 
that  the  symbolism  of  the  good  shepherd  requires  a  key. 
The  need  of  the  shepherd's  care  is  experienced  every- 
where. 

/^ 

The  Good  Shepherd  is  distinguished  by  His  devotion 
to  the  sheep.  "He  leadeth  them  out."  "He  putteth  forth 
His  own  sheep."  "He  giveth  His  life  for  the  sheep." 
In  the  morning  he  appears  at  the  sheep-fold,  and  calls 
them  out  to  green  pastures,  using  gentle  compulsion  with 
the  reluctant.  At  noon-tide  He  leads  them  to  the  shade 
and  the  refreshing  waters.  At  night-fall  He  conveys 
them  safely  home.  His  life  is  one  of  perfect  consecra- 
tion. He  places  Himself  utterly  at  their  service.  David 
proudly  told  Saul  how  he  rescued  the  lamb  from  the  bear 
and  the  lion.  It  was  characteristic  of  the  shepherd's 
business.  If  the  flock  escaped  the  wild  beasts,  the  thief 
and  the  robber  were  to  be  reckoned  with. 

Says  Thomson  in  The  Land  and  the  Book:  "A  poor 
faithful  fellow  last  spring,  between  Tiberias  and  Tabor, 
instead  of  fleeing  actually  fought  three  Bedouin  robbers 
until  he  was  hacked  to  pieces  with  their  knives,  and  died 
among  the  sheep  he  was  defending."  Christ  is  the  su- 
preme exemplar  of  this  spirit,  "who  gave  Himself  for 
us,  that  He  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity."  It  is 
His  whole  life  which  is  surrendered  to  our  interest. 
Human  experience  is  a  conflict  on  a  sinking  ground. 
The  moral  philosopher  ridicules  us  because  we  have  not 
chosen  wise  counsels  in  making  our  contest.  The  apos- 
tles of  culture  promise  to  help  us  when  we  have  helped 
ourselves.  Christ  puts  Himself  at  our  service,  and  awards 
us  the  security  and  success  which  He  has  won  by  His 
eternal  sacrifice. 

King  Leopold  of  Belgium  affects  to  take  the  people 
of  the  Congo  to  his  heart,  but  actually  plunders  them 
for  personal  gain.  His  treachery  is  typical  of  the  hire- 
ling, his  cruelty  is  that  of  the  bandit.  Of  Christ  it  is 
said,   "When   He   saw  the   multitudes,   He   was   moved 


THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD.  231 

with  compassion  on  them,  because  they  fainted  and  were 
scattered  abroad,  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd." 

The  Good  Shepherd  knows  His  sheep.  "He  calleth 
His  own  sheep  by  name."  There  are  sheep  which  do 
not  belong  to  Him.  These  he  does  not  know.  Christ 
said  that  at  the  judgment  He  would  declare  to  the  vain 
pretenders,  "I  never  knew  you."  He  does  not  mean  that 
He  has  no  consciousness  of  their  existence,  but  no  knowl- 
edge of  them  based  on  spiritual  fellowship.  "He  knew 
all  men,  and  needed  not  that  any  should  testify  of  man ; 
for  He  knew  what  was  in  man."  Paul  says,  "li  any  man 
love  God,  the  same  is  known  of  Him."  Christ  is  fully 
aware  of  His  own. 

Themistocles  boasted  that  he  could  recite  the  names 
of  all  the  citizens  of  Athens,  and  there  were  twenty  thou- 
sand of  them.  The  Good  Shepherd  has  millions  of  sheep 
distributed  through  many  folds,  but  He  addresses  every 
one  of  them  by  name.  To  be  called  His  by  Him  is  very 
sweet  and  inspiring. 

Once  when  Julius  Caesar  was  attempting  to  carry  war 
into  Africa  he  was  delayed  by  a  mutiny  of  his  veterans 
in  Southern  Italy.  He  gave  them  immediate  discharge, 
addressing  them  as  "citizens."  Then  their  affection  re- 
vived, and  they  begged  with  tears  that  they  might  be 
restored  to  his  favor,  and  be  honored  again  with  the  title 
of  "Caesar's  soldiers."  After  some  delay  their  request 
was  granted.  To  be  Christ's  own  is  the  dearest  relation 
on  earth  or  in  heaven. 

He  knows  His  sheep  when  they  scarcely  know  them- 
selves, and  when  they  are  not  recognized  as  His  by 
others.  "The  world  knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew 
not  Him."  But  He  knows  us.  He  has  brought  us  up 
from  the  hour  we  entered  His  fold.  He  has  watched  us 
with  aft'ectionate  interest  every  moment  since.  We  have 
wandered  away  from  Him  so  often,  and  have  soiled  our- 
selves so  much  in  the  mire  of  sin,  and  have  been  torn  so 
sadly  by  enemies,  that  we  are  sometimes  doubtful  where 


232     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

we  belong  or  to  whom.    But  He  knows  us,  and  calls  us 
by  name. 

The  sheep  know  the  Good  Shepherd.  "They  know 
His  voice.  And  a  stranger  they  will  not  follow,  but  will 
flee  from  him,  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers." 
There  is  a  subtle  law  of  correspondence  in  souls  that  are 
kin,  a  kind  of  intellectual  and  spiritual  affinity.  The 
minister  truly  speaks  to  his  hearers,  and  to  no  others. 
The  steel  filings  leap  to  kiss  the  magnet.  The  strings 
of  the  instrument  throb  to  the  touch  of  their  own  tones. 
William  Jay  quaintly  said,  "Christ's  sheep  are  marked 
in  the  ear  and  foot;  they  hear  His  voice  and  follow 
Him."  There  are  thousands  of  mortals  who  are  only 
removed  from  the  brute  creation  by  the  fact  that  they 
have  possibilities  of  moral  and  spiritual  life.  Eating  and 
drinking,  sin  and  sensuality,  pomp  and  pleasure  make  up 
their  whole  round  of  being.  The  Shepherd's  voice  seems 
never  to  penetrate  the  heavy  folds  which  encase  their 
consciences.  Their  deplorable  state  fills  devout  souls  with 
agony.  But  if  Christ  does  not  approve  Himself  to  these 
unfortunates  as  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  and 
the  one  altogether  lovely.  He  has  no  method  of  reaching 
them.  It  is  a  profound  mystery,  but  its  truth  is  only  too 
appallingly  obvious.  But  the  genuine  disciple  hears  His 
voice,  and  knows  His  master.  "I  know  mine  own,  and 
mine  own  know  Me,  even  as  the  Father  knoweth  Me, 
and  I  know  the  Father."  Says  the  prophet  Isaiah,  "He 
wakeneth  morning  by  morning,  he  wakeneth  mine  ear 
to  hear  as  they  that  are  taught."  There  is  perfect  corre- 
spondence between  the  Shepherd  and  the  sheep ;  there  is 
mutual  understanding.  The  result  is  eternal  life — the 
gift  of  the  Shepherd.  The  sheep  can  not  earn  it  by  fol- 
lowing, yet  they  can  not  have  it  without  following.  So 
long  as  they  hear  the  Shepherd's  voice,  and  follow  Him, 
and  refrain  themselves  from  strangers,  He  will  never  re- 
linquish His  right  to  them.  He  will  fight  of¥  the  wolves 
with  His  own  liody.  He  will  die  a  thousand  deaths  in 
their  defense.     He  will  defy  all  hell  to  pluck  them  out 


THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD.  233 

of  His  hand.  But  they  are  free,  and  with  suicidal  folly 
they  can  slip  away  from  Him,  A  little  lamb  the  Shep- 
herd will  fold  to  His  bosom,  a  wounded  sheep  He  will 
carry  on  His  shoulder,  a  frightened  sheep  He  will  en- 
courage with  His  staff,  a  lost  sheep  He  will  follow  to  the 
bleak  mountain.  But  a  silly,  refractory  sheep  that  will- 
fully flings  itself  into  the  ravine  even  the  omnipotent 
Shepherd  can  not  save  from  death.  He  said  to  the  fool- 
ish, "Ye  will  not  come  to  Me,  that  ye  might  have  life." 


XXI. 

DISCOURSE  AT  THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION. 

CHAPTER  X.  22-42. 

Since  Irenasus  it  has  remained  for  the  sons  of  the  apos- 
tolic spirit  the  crown  of  the  apostolic  Gospels. — Lunge, 

Introduction  (22-24). 

ApparentIvY  about  two  month  elapsed  between  the 
discourse  recorded  in  the  preceding  passage  and  that  now 
under  consideration.  This  is  the  interval  between  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  and  the  Feast  of  Dedication.  The 
latter  celebration  occurred  late  in  December,  and  com- 
memorated the  purification  of  the  Temple  after  the  prof- 
anation by  Antiochus  Epiphanes.  It  was  instituted  by 
the  Maccabees.  It  continued  eight  days,  and  was  also 
known  as  the  Feast  of  Lights  because  of  the  illumina- 
tions which  accompanied  it. 

As  the  mention  of  winter  is  not  needed  in  this  place 
for  Jewish  readers,  who  would  know  the  season  in  which 
the  Feast  occurred,  it  may  have  been  introduced  for  the 
sake  of  the  Gentile  readers,  or  for  the  purpose  of  show- 
ing that  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  drove  Jesus  to 
take  shelter  in  the  cloisters  of  Solomon's  porch — a  fine 
mark  of  John's  attention  to  details.  It  has  also  been  sug- 
gested that  this  sentence  is  symbolical  of  the  tempest 
of  hatred  which  surrounded  Jesus  while  He  was  teach- 
ing. As  the  Master  was  walking  about  in  this  colonnade, 
the  Jews,  perhaps  watching  for  a  favorable  opportunity 
when  they  could  put  themselves  between  Christ  and  His 
disciples,  crowded  about  Him,  and  pressed  upon  Him 
persistent  inquiries  touching  His  claims.  There  are  two 
natural  divisions  of  the  discourse  which  ensues,  the  first 

234 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  235 

being  introduced  with  a  question,  the  second  with  a 
charge  of  blasphemy;  the  former  deahng  with  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus,  the  latter  with  the  Divinity  of  Jesus. 

I.  THE  MESSIAHSHIP  OF  JESUS  (24-30). 

The  Jews  profess  to  be  greatly  exercised  over  His 
mission.  "How  long  dost  Thou  cause  us  to  doubt?  If 
Thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly."  Three  motives  may 
have  mingled  in  this  request:  some  of  the  questioners 
may  have  been  simply  curious,  some  may  have  been  sin- 
cerely hesitating  between  belief  and  unbelief,  and  some 
may  have  wished  to  extort  an  answer  from  Jesus  on 
which  they  could  base  an  accusation. 

1.  For  Unbelief  No  Direct  Answer  (25,  26).     Candid 

as  the  question  seemed,  a  straight  affirmation  of  His 
Messiahship  would  not  have  convinced  men  who  had 
rejected  testimony  already  given.  His  words  re- 
peatedly delivered  were  a  sufficient  answer.  Even 
if  these  were  inadequate.  His  works  were  a  confir- 
mation and  interpretation  of  them.  By  these  the 
Father  was  testifying  in  His  behalf ;  but  this  wit- 
ness they  had  rejected,  because  they  were  not  of 
His  fold. 

2.  For  Belief  High  Privilege  (27-29).     Between  Him- 

self and  His  sheep  there  is  mutual  recognition  and 
mutual  confidence.  They  receive  at  His  hands 
eternal  life.  They  are  imperishable  if  they  abide 
with  Him.  They  can  not  be  taken  away  from  Him 
without  their  own  consent.  Being  free,  they  can 
choose  to  leave  Him.  Otherwise,  they  are  secure 
forever.  "My  Father  which  gave  them  to  Me  is 
greater  than  all."  Out  of  His  hand  they  can  not  be 
plucked.  Another  reading  is :  "That  which  the 
Father  has  given  Me  is  greater  than  all,"  that  is, 
the  faithful  in  their  combined  unity  are  stronger 
than  their  foes.  In  any  case  loyal  believers  are  safe 
eternally. 


236     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

3.  Oneness  with  the  Father  (30).  "I  and  My  Father 
are  one."  This  is  more  than  an  answer  to  their 
question.  The  hand  of  the  Father  from  which  the 
faithful  can  not  be  taken  is  the  hand  of  the  Christ, 
the  man  before  them.  This  oneness  is  not  merely 
oneness  of  purpose,  work,  or  power,  but  oneness  of 
essence.  The  whole  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  lies 
in  this  brief  sentence. 

II.  THE  DIVINITY  OF  JESUS  (31-38). 

1.  The  Charge  of  Blasphemy  (31-33).     The  Jews  tak- 

ing up  stones  to  assault  Jesus  plainly  declared  that 
they  saw  in  His  final  answer  not  only  a  claim  to 
the  Messiahship,  but  an  assertion  of  His  divinity. 
When  Jesus  protests  with  fine  irony  that  He  does 
not  understand  which  of  the  good  works  He  has 
wrought  has  called  forth  vengeance,  they  tell  Him 
that  His  making  Himself  equal  with  God  is  the 
occasion  of  their  attack.  The  fact  that  Jesus  does 
not  correct  them  is  evidence  that  they  had  not  mis- 
apprehended His  meaning. 

2.  Reply  to  the  Charge  (34-38).    A  reference  to  the  use 

of  the  word  "gods"  in  the  Old  Testament  opens  a 
formal  argument  by  Christ  (Psa.  Ixxxii,  6).  If 
unjust  rulers,  on  the  principle  that  they  are  the  rep- 
resentatives of  divine  authority,  can  be  called  "gods" 
without  causing  offense,  shall  not  He  whom  the 
Father  has  sacredly  set  apart  and  sent  into  the  world 
be  permitted  to  call  Himself  "Son  of  God?" 

Jesus  now  replies  to  their  charge  by  an  appeal 
to  His  works.  If  these  are  not  divine,  then  they  are 
justified  in  rejecting  Him;  but  if  they  are  unmis- 
takably God's  works,  then  they  ought  at  least  to  give 
belief  to  the  works,  and  so  acknowledge  His  unity 
with  the  Father,  without  whom  they  could  not  be 
wrought. 

CONCLUSION  (39-42). 

The  rage  of  Christ's  enemies  is  impotent.    He  escapes 
©ut  of  their  hands,  though  they  seek  to  apprehend  Him. 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  237 

He  withdraws  beyond  the  Jordan  to  the  place  where 
John  first  baptized.  Thither  people  in  great  numbers 
follow  Him,  and  give  uniform  testimony  to  Him.  All 
that  John  witnessed  concerning  Him  they  have  found  to 
be  true.  "Many  believed  on  Him  there"  with  a  faith 
which  meant  devotion  to  Him,  not  mere  belief  in  His 
statements. 


Hymn  No.  136. 

The  King  of  Love  my  Shepherd  is, 
Whose  goodness  faileth  never ; 

I  nothing  lack  if  I  am  His, 
And  He  is  mine  forever, 

— Henry  IV.  Baker. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  yield  to  Christ  divine  honors? 

2.  Am  I  constrained  by  His  divinity  to  lead  a  holy 
life? 


An  Explanation  of  God. 

"I  and  My  Father  are  one." — John  x,  30. 

The  Jews  interpreted  these  words  to  mean  that  Jesus 
claimed  to  be  divine.  Jesus  permitted  this  mterpretation 
to  stand  without  denial.  Hence  we  must  accept  this  in- 
terpretation or  regard  Him  as  impostor. 

During  the  "Reign  of  Terror"  in  France,  Lavoisier 
fell  by  the  guillotine  as  a  recompense  for  his  patriotism. 
"The  Republic  has  no  need  of  savants,"  remarked  the 
functionary  who  signed  the  death-warrant  of  the  most 
famous  chemist  of  the  century.  Jesus  was  crucified  for 
His  adherence  to  the  claim  that  He  was  one  with  God. 
The  rulers  of  the  Jews  had  no  room  in  the  world  for  a 
divine  Savior.  They  affected  to  think  His  words  were 
blasphemous.  Doubtless  they  were  correct  on  the  as- 
sumption that  Jesus  was  but  a  man.    Their  insisting  that 


238      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

He  be  punished  with  death  was  in  consonance  with  the 
severe  traditions  of  the  past.  In  our  milder  time  a  man 
who  made  such  pretensions  would  be  adjudged  insane, 
and  at  the  most  would  be  confined  for  the  protection  of 
society. 

The  folly  and  wickedness  of  human  beings  demand- 
ing divine  honors  have  always  been  realized  by  mankind, 
even  when  it  has  been  the  vogue  to  apotheosize  heroes. 
A  praetor  affirmed  that  he  had  seen  the  soul  of  Augustus 
Caesar  ascend  from  its  ashes  to  the  celestial  abodes.  One 
observes  how  little  value  was  attached  to  such  an  ele- 
vation by  those  most  concerned,  when  he  remembers 
that  Vespasian  exclaimed  in  the  moment  of  death,  "Woe 
is  me !  I  am  about  to  become  a  god."  The  flippant 
view  of  Deity  under  the  pagan  conception  relieves  the 
assumption  of  divine  dignity  of  its  otherwise  impious 
quality.  But  in  the  Hebrew  thought  of  God's  ineffable 
grandeur,  to  aspire  for  the  honors  of  Deity  was  nothing 
short  of  unpardonable  profanity.  Christ's  claim  was  the 
superlative  degree  of  infamy  if  it  was  not  grounded  in 
eternal  reality.  The  punishment  visited  upon  Herod 
Agrippa  would  seem  to  be  justified  on  the  supposition 
that  he  understood  the  wickedness  of  his  pride.  "And 
upon  a  set  day  Herod,  arrayed  in  royal  apparel,  sat  upon 
his  throne,  and  made  an  oration  unto  them.  And  the 
people  gave  a  shout,  saying,  'It  is  the  voice  of  a  god, 
and  not  a  man.'  And  immediately  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
smote  him,  because  he  gave  not  God  the  glory;  and  he 
was  eaten  of  worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost." 

The  obvious  character  of  Christ  makes  it  a  moral  im- 
possibility that  He  should  have  misrepresented  Himself. 
The  sinless  One  told  the  truth  about  Himself.  He  was 
one  with  God  not  merely  in  power,  authority,  and  pur- 
pose, but  in  essential  being.  The  metaphysical  difficul- 
ties of  this  doctrine  may  be  insurmountable  for  some 
minds.  But  it  is  wise  to  accept  the  truth  as  one  of  reve- 
lation and  not  of  speculation,  and  to  give  the  soul  the 
comfort  of  taking  Christ  as  the  perfect  interpretation 
of  God. 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  239 

The  implications  of  the  fact  that  Christ  is  one  with 
the  Father  are  exceedingly  helpful  to  the  faith  of  the 
Christian.  Not  the  least  of  these  is  the  bringing  of  God 
into  personal  reality.  Otherwise  He  is  very  hazy  to 
many  minds.  Even  by  those  who  profess  themselves  to 
be  true  theists  God  is  often  only  a  convenient  fiction  to 
account  for  the  existence  of  things.  Some  who  would 
spurn  the  charge  of  being  agnostics  apparently  go  little 
beyond  those  unbelievers,  and  content  themselves  with 
thinking  of  God  as  the  Infinite  Energy,  whence  all  the 
phenomena  of  the  universe  take  their  origin.  That  in- 
finite energy  operates  in  a  variety  of  forces,  to  which 
names  are  given,  for  purposes  of  distinction,  but  which 
science  is  teaching  may  probably  all  be  resolved  into  a 
single  force.  That  infinite  energy  is  manifested  in  a 
diversity  of  material  substances,  which  also  have  their 
separate  designations,  but  which  science  is  teaching  may 
all  be  reduced  to  one  primordial  stuff,  the  variety  of  ele- 
ments being  secured  simply  by  differences  of  atomic 
arrangement.  That  infinite  energy  is  active  in  many 
kinds  of  living  organisms,  from  bacteria  to  mammoths, 
but  science  is  teaching  that  these  may  all  spring  from  a 
single  vital  essence,  which  is  responsible  for  all  the  diver- 
sities of  what  we  call  life.  It  is  the  power  which  moves 
the  wings  of  the  bird,  the  wheels  of  the  engine,  the  sword 
of  the  warrior,  the  cry  of  the  child,  the  dream  of  the 
poet.  If  a  sufficiently  intelligent  being  had  stood  on  the 
shoreless  sea  of  primeval  matter,  he  could  have  detected 
in  that  heated  ocean  of  vapor  all  worlds,  all  histories, 
all  souls,  all  effects  of  human  thought  and  activity.  That 
infinite  energy  is  everywhere  immanent  in  the  universe ; 
in  the  opening  buds  of  the  spring-tide,  in  the  prayers  of 
the  penitents,  in  the  ambitions  of  the  conqueror,  in  the 
billows  of  the  sea.  This  is  God  to  many  persons  who 
fancy  they  actually  believe  in  Him.  But  what  a  dismal 
state  they  suffer,  who  have  no  other  god  than  this!  As 
Fitchett  has  said,  "Who  can  love  gravitation ;  or  pray  to 
electricity ;  or  sing  hymns,  say,  to  the  law  of  the  con- 
servation of  energy?  All  the  great  offices  and  forces  of 
religion  perish  at  a  breath  if  there  be  no  personal  God." 


240     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

It  is  in  Christ,  however,  that  the  personal  God  comes 
out  into  clear  vision.  "I  and  the  Father  are  one."  God 
is  a  father,  and  no  conception  of  fatherhood  is  possible 
without  personalit}^  God  is  Christ,  and  Christ  exists  in 
terms  of  being  like  our  own.  The  little  child,  when  di- 
rected to  the  throne  of  grace,  instinctively  prays  to  Jesus, 
and  finds  in  Him  the  concrete  notion  of  God  which  satis- 
fies a  mind  untrammeled  by  metaphysical  speculation. 
The  philosophy  of  a  mature  mind  can  discover  no  better 
method  of  realizing  God. 

If  Christ  and  God  are  one,  then  there  can  be  no  ques- 
tion that  God  is  good.  Without  this  revelation  God  is 
under  suspicion  in  many  hearts.  Surely  Nature  does 
not  uniformly  and  indubitably  demonstrate  the  benev- 
olence of  God.  The  disasters  which  overwhelm  great 
cities  from  the  disturbances  of  the  earth,  the  relentless 
sway  of  forces,  which  when  ignorantly  opposed  by  man 
hurl  him  to  ruin,  the  ten  thousand  calamities  which  make 
life  terrible  by  their  mere  possibility,  raise  doubts  whether 
there  be  a  personal  God  who  controls  the  destinies  of  the 
race,  and  if  there  be,  whether  He  is  benevolent  or  malev- 
olent. Certainly  history  does  not  invariably  and  conclu- 
sively prove  the  goodness  of  God.  The  hideous  night- 
mare of  war  and  plunder  and  murder,  out  of  which  na- 
tions have  been  wrought  into  being,  with  all  their  at- 
tendant destruction  of  human  life  and  character,  make 
a  poor  defense  of  God,  when  His  character  is  under 
scrutiny.  Certainly  individual  human  experience  does  not 
infallibly  point  to  the  goodness  of  God.  The  saints  go  to 
the  stake,  and  the  sinners  to  the  throne.  The  upright 
are  assailed  for  their  piety  and  the  wicked  are  applauded 
for  their  iniquities.  These  are  not  uniform  experiences, 
it  is  true,  but  they  occur  frequently  enough  to  make  the 
despondent  victim  of  earthly  cruelty  pause  and  ask,  with 
some  of  old,  "What  is  the  Almighty  that  we  should  serve 
Him?  and  what  profit  should  we  have  if  we  pray  to 
Him?"  But  despite  all  these  perturbations  of  one's  faith, 
if  we  can  see  that  Christ  and  God  are  one,  then  we  can 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  241 

be  sure  that,  whatever  the  facts  in  Hfe  may  appear  to  say 
against  the  character  of  God,  He  must  be  benevolent. 
Christ  has  shown  Himself  to  be  love  personified.  If  He 
and  God  are  one,  it  is  simply  because  we  do  not  under- 
stand the  providence  of  God  that  we  hesitate  to  ascribe 
unvarying  goodness  to  the  Eternal.  In  due  time  we 
shall  perceive  and  be  satisfied.  Meanwhile  the  soul  fas- 
tens its  gaze  upon  the  Christ,  who  is  one  with  the  Father, 
and  says  triumphantly : 

"Yet  in  the  maddening  maze  of  things, 
And  tossed  by  storm  and  flood, 
To  one  fixed  trust  my  spirit  clings, 
I  know  that  God  is  good." 

Jesus  has  just  been  explaining  that  it  is  His  supreme 
purpose  to  obtain  the  salvation  of  those  who  will  trust 
Him.  He  has  called  Himself  the  Good  Shepherd  who 
gives  His  life  for  the  sheep.  He  has  just  asserted  that 
those  who  hear  His  voice  and  follow  Him  will  be  eter- 
nally secure.  "I  give  unto  them  eternal  life;  and  they 
shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck  them  out 
of  My  Father's  hand."  Here,  then,  is  God's  great  aim — 
the  salvation  of  mankind.  And  all  the  occurrences  of 
life,  all  the  events  of  time,  under  His  administration  are 
to  be  bent  to  this  end.  Christ's  motive  is  God's  motive, 
and  the  intent  must  interpret  every  action.  Does  God 
require  the  praise  of  men?  It  is  not  for  the  purpose  of 
gratifying  His  desire  for  adulation.  What  a  cheap  notion 
of  Deity  that  would  be!  Does  He  ask  for  service?  It 
is  not  for  the  sake  of  getting  things  done  that  could  not 
otherwise  be  accomplished,  nor  to  have  the  satisfaction 
of  wielding  a  taskmaster's  whip.  What  a  puerile  concep- 
tion of  God !  Does  He  exact  sacrifice  ?  It  is  not  because 
He  would  be  propitiated  by  the  crushing  of  human  am- 
bitions. It  is  not  that  He  sates  His  anger  with  blood- 
drenched  altars.  What  an  unholy  thought  of  God !  But 
by  praise,  by  service,  by  sacrifice  He  is  forever  drawing 
men  into  higher  nobility  of  character,  into  deeper  sym- 
16 


242      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

path}'  with  Himself,  and  therefore  into  fuller  realization 
of  their  native  dignity  as  the  sons  of  God. 

There  is  a  story  of  an  English  army  surgeon  Avho, 
wounded  unto  death  on  the  battle-field,  but  distressed 
by  the  agonizing  cries  of  the  dying  soldiers  about  Him, 
edged  himself  along  from  man  to  man  with  incredible 
difficulty  and  pain,  that  he  might  impart  relief  to  the 
despairing,  with  his  hypodermic  needle  administering  an 
anaesthetic,  where  it  could  lessen  misery,  himself  dying  in 
the  very  act  of  helping  others  to  ease  of  body.  Was  not 
that  beautiful?  Was  it  not  divine?  It  was  service  and 
it  was  sacrifice ;  it  was  gratuitous  and  yet  it  was  under 
compulsion,  the  necessity  of  love.  Did  it  not  magnify 
the  man?  It  is  thus  that  the  demands  of  God  are  in- 
tended to  make  the  souls  of  men  more  glorious.  Christ 
enables  us  to  see  that  this  is  God's  controlling  policy  with 
a  lost  world.     He  and  the  Father  are  one. 

When  Napoleon  and  his  army  were  scouring  the  Alps, 
an  avalanche  swept  across  the  ranks  with  thunderous 
force,  and  carried  into  the  abyss  below  a  little  drummer 
boy.  He  was  not  seriously  injured,  but  he  was  beyond 
the  reach  of  his  comrades,  unless  some  extraordinary 
efifort  was  made  to  rescue  him.  He  scrambled  to  the  top 
of  a  snow  mound,  and  waved  his  hand  aloft  in  token 
that  he  had  not  perished.  Above  him  hundreds  of  feet 
away  marched  the  great  army,  with  never  an  efifort  to 
reach  him,  though  there  were  many  that  might  have 
stretched  forth  a  hand  to  deliver  him.  Then  the  boy 
began  to  beat  the  military  calls  to  which  he  had  been 
trained.  In  that  clear  atmosphere  each  sound  was  heard 
with  terrible  and  pathetic  distinctness.  Could  nothing 
be  done  to  rescue  him  ?  Bonaparte  was  told  of  the  boy's 
fate,  but  spoke  no  word.  What  was  one  little  drummer 
boy  to  Italy  in  the  mind  of  him  who  called  the  people 
food  for  powder.  The  cold  crept  over  the  lad,  and  he 
quickened  his  efforts.  But  the  army  passed  on.  Melt- 
ing away  over  the  ridges  he  watched  his  comrades  file 
on  file  as  they  vanished  from  his  sight.     Then,  fearless 


THE  FEAST  OF  DEDICATION.  243 

still,  though  abandoned  to  die,  the  boy  suddenly  changed 
his  note.  No  longer  the  tattoo,  the  advance,  the  charge, 
but  after  a  moment's  delay  the  funeral  march.  That 
sound  was  the  last  that  came  from  the  brave  drummer 
lad,  who  lies  yet  in  the  snowy  winding  sheet  of  the  Alps. 
Not  one  soul,  but  a  world  full  of  souls,  does  Christ 
see  in  a  deeper  and  more  perilous  abyss  than  mountain 
heights  inclose.  It  is  the  passion  of  His  being  to  rescue 
the  perishing.  He  has  lavished  Himself  upon  the  under- 
taking. All  that  His  infinite  resources  carry  He  has 
devoted  to  this  supreme  purpose.  "Who  gave  Himself 
for  us  that  He  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity."  That 
is  the  immeasurable  fact  which  interprets  God  to  hu- 
manitv,  for  Christ  and  the  Father  are  one. 


XXII. 

THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

From  every  house  the  neighbors  met, 
The  streets  were  filled  with  joyful  sound, 
A  solemn  gladness  even  crowned 

The  purple  brows  of  Olivet. — Tennyson. 

Introduction. 

"The;  miracle  of  miracles  in  the  history  of  the  Christ," 
says  Edersheim.  It  is  surpassed  only  by  our  Lord's  own 
resurrection,  which  was  to  a  glorified  life.  Godet  relates 
that  Spinoza,  the  great  pantheistic  philosopher,  declared 
to  his  friends,  "that  if  he  could  have  persuaded  himself 
of  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  he  would  have  dashed  in 
pieces  his  own  system  and  embraced  without  repugnance 
the  common  faith  of  Christians." 

The  significance  of  the  miracle  has  provoked  much 
assault  upon  its  credibility.  But  from  the  standpoint  of 
divine  power  there  is  no  miracle  which  is  more  difficult 
of  performance  than  another.  Some  miracles  appear 
more  wonderful  to  human  vision  than  others,  but  to  the 
Omnipotent  all  works  are  equal.  Unless  we  take  the 
position  of  certain  critics  that  any  miracle  is  impossible, 
and  that  therefore  the  record  of  every  miracle  must  be 
accounted  for  on  other  than  historic  grounds,  there  is 
no  reason  for  doubting  the  authenticity  of  this  story. 
Westcott  says,  "Those  who  deny  the  fact  are  sooner  or 
later  brought  to  maintain  either  that  the  scene  was  an 
imposture,  or  that  the  record  is  a  fiction.  Both  of  these 
hypotheses  involve  a  moral  miracle." 

It  is  sometimes  objected  that  this  miracle  is  not  nar- 
244 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  245 

rated  in  the  Synoptics,  and  that  this  fact  weighs  against 
the  integrity  of  the  story.  It  must  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  these  writers  confine  themselves  ahnost  excki- 
sively  to  the  ministry  of  Clirist  in  Galilee,  while  John 
deals  chiefly  with  events  in  the  Judean  ministry.  It  is 
no  more  remarkable  that  they  should  omit  this  narrative 
than  that  John  should  omit  the  record  of  other  raisings 
from  the  dead  which  they  preserve. 

The  dramatic  importance  of  this  miracle  in  John's 
composition  is  that  it  furnishes  the  culminating  point  in 
the  plot  to  destroy  the  life  of  Jesus.  In  the  ten  chapters 
which  precede  he  has  described  how  Jesus  revealed  Him- 
self in  every  kind  of  manifestation  which  was  calculated 
to  inspire  faith,  only  to  be  met  by  increasing  unbelief 
and  deepening  hostility  on  the  part  of  the  Jewish  rulers. 
Now  he  shows  that  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  the  supreme 
revelation  of  the  divine  glory  in  Christ's  public  ministry, 
determined  His  enemies  to  consummate  their  horrid  pur- 
pose. 

I.  THE  OCCASION  OF  THE  MIRACLE  (1-16). 

Sickness  in  the  loved  home  at  Bethany,  followed  by 
the  death  of  a  dear  friend.  There  is  here  a  fine  sense 
of  human  feeling  combined  with  divine  power  which 
John  does  not  regard  as  incongruous.  The  last,  as  well 
as  the  first,  of  the  seven  typical  miracles  which  he  re- 
lates is  wrought  in  the  domestic  circle,  and  each  is  de- 
clared to  manifest  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  The  divine 
and  the  human  are  thus  thrown  into  impressive  harmony. 

I.  The  Message  from  Bethany  (3-6).  "Lord,  behold, 
he  whom  Thou  lovest  is  sick."  Probably  the  exact 
language  of  the  message.  In  Christ's  first  visit  to 
Bethany  (Luke  x,  38)  Lazarus  is  not  mentioned. 
What  unreported  events  must  have  occurred  between 
these  two  visits  in  order  to  account  for  the  affec- 
tionate relations  of  Jesus  and  this  man?  In  His  re- 
sponse to  the  announcement  that  illness  has  stricken 
His  friend  Jesus  reveals  His  profound  knowledge 
of  the  significance  of  this  fact.    He  predicts  that  this 


246      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

sickness  will  not  terminate  in  irrevocable  death,  but 
will  manifest  the  glory  of  God,  and  thereby  the  Son 
will  be  glorified. 

Though  Jesus  loved  the  family  at  Bethany,  He 
made  no  movement  toward  the  afflicted  household 
for  two  days.  The  journey  to  Bethany  would  re- 
quire a  day.  It  is  apparent  that  Lazarus  was  already 
dead  when  the  message  was  delivered  (v.  17).  Jesus 
waited  until  He  had  finished  the  work  which  He 
had  in  hand.  The  teaching  applies  to  unanswered 
prayers.  It  is  not  through  lack  of  God's  love  that 
our  petitions  are  not  immediately  granted,  but  on 
account  of  the  fullness  of  His  knowledge. 

2.  The  Journey  to  Bethany  (7-16).  Jesus  finally  an- 
nounces His  decision  to  return  to  Judaea.  Bethany 
is  not  mentioned,  but  the  hostile  province  in  which 
it  is  located.  This  at  once  suggests  the  peril  of  His 
purpose.  Perhaps  this  is  His  intention,  in  order  that 
His  disciples  may  gradually  be  prepared  for  the  final 
catastrophe.  They  protest  against  His  determina- 
tion, and  remind  Him  of  the  dangers  in  Judsea  from 
which  He  has  but  recently  escaped.  While  their 
words  betray  weakness,  they  also  show  devotion  to 
His  interests.  Jesus  makes  no  direct  reply  to  their 
warnings,  but  gives  expression  to  a  great  general 
principle  of  wide  application.  He  tells  them  in  ef- 
fect that  He  is  perfectly  safe  so  long  as  He  is  in 
pursuit  of  duty.  The  time  is  short  (ix,  4),  but  it  is 
sufficient.  He  can  not  add  to  His  days  by  caution, 
and  no  one  can  shorten  them  till  His  work  is  done. 
He  would  indeed  be  in  peril  if  He  should  turn 
aside  from  duty  (9,  10).  Under  a  beautiful  figure, 
which  they  do  not  understand,  and  later  in  terms 
which  are  plain,  He  tells  them  that  Lazarus  is  dead. 
When  they  believe  him  to  be  merely  sleeping,  they 
attempt  to  dissuade  Jesus  from  His  purpose  as  being 
unnecessary,  since  sleep  is  a  favorable  symptom. 
But  when  He  informs  them  that  Lazarus  is  actually 
dead,  and  that  He  is  glad  it  has  turned  out  thus, 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  247 

since  it  will  enable  Him  to  perform  work  which  will 
strengthen  their  faith  in  Him,  Thomas  says  with  fine 
resolution,  "Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with 
Him !"  The  disciple  will  not  pretend  a  faith  which 
he  does  not  have,  but  his  loyalty  will  not  permit  him 
to  desert  the  Master  in  the  hour  of  peril. 

II.  THE  SCENE  BEFORE  THE  MIRACLE  (17-30). 

On  arrival  at  Bethany,  which  is  but  two  miles  distant 
from  Jerusalem,  thus  making  it  easy  for  a  great  crowd 
of  Jews  to  be  present,  Jesus  found  that  Lazarus  had 
been  entombed  four  days,  and  that  many  friends  and 
neighbors  had  assembled  to  engage  in  the  solemn  mourn- 
ing which  usually  lasted  seven  days.  Among  these  were 
doubtless  many  persons  hostile  to  the  Master,  who  would 
now  be  offered  another  opportunity  to  believe  in  Him 
(17-19)- 

I.  Jesus  and  Martha  (20-27).  The  characteristics  of 
the  two  sisters  are  plainly  marked  in  the  narrative. 
As  soon  as  Martha,  who  is  engaged  in  some  house- 
hold duty,  has  tidings  of  the  Master's  arrival,  she 
runs  out  to  meet  Him.  Mary  remaining  in  her 
chamber,  absorbed  in  her  grief,  does  not  receive 
intelligence  of  His  coming  at  once.  When  Martha 
gently  protests  that  if  Jesus  had  come  sooner  her 
brother  might  have  been  kept  from  death,  she  quickly 
follows  with  a  profession  of  her  faith  in  the  Master's 
ability  even  now  to  accomplish  whatever  His  love 
prompts  Him  to  ask  of  His  Father  (21,  22).  When 
Jesus  assures  her  that  Lazarus  shall  rise  again,  she 
admits  that  this  will  be  true  in  the  general  resur- 
rection, but  appears  to  take  no  comfort  from  it  in 
the  present  situation  (23,  24).  Then  Jesus  utters 
those  immeasurable  words,  *T  am  the  resurrection," 
etc.  He  would  have  her  understand  that  not  only 
has  He  power  to  impart  life  and  to  effect  resurrec- 
tion, but  that  He  is  in  Himself  life  and  resurrection. 
The  soul  is  directed  in  these  words  not  to  the  future, 
but  to  the  present.     He  that  believes  in  the  Christ 


248      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

even  if  he  has  died  physically  shall  live  eternally, 
and  he  that  lives  physically  and  believes  shall  not 
die  eternally.  "The  vv^hole  history  of  the  raising  of 
Lazarus  is  a  parable  of  life  through  death ;  of  life 
through  w^hat  is  called  death,  of  death  through  what 
is  called  life."  (Westcott.)  On  hearing  these 
words  Martha's  faith,  which  has  been  steadily  de- 
veloping, breaks  forth  into  the  confession,  "I  believe 
that  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  which 
should  come  into  the  world"  (27). 

2.  Jesus  and  Mary  (28-32).  Martha's  soul  being  tem- 
porarily at  rest  through  faith,  she  summons  Mary — 
"The  Master  is  come  and  calleth  for  thee" — doing 
so  secretly,  and  for  this  purpose  using  a  title  for 
Jesus  which  will  not  betray  Him,  if  her  words  are 
overheard.  She  knows  the  sentiments  of  some  of 
these  mourners.  Jesus  has  not  come  into  the  town, 
not  desiring  to  attract  undue  attention,  but  is  near 
the  tomb,  which  is  outside  the  place,  not  in  a  public 
cemetery,  but  perhaps  in  a  garden,  as  would  befit 
the  evident  circumstances  of  the  family.  Thither 
Mary  quickly  came  when  she  learned  the  Master  had 
arrived,  and  falling  at  His  feet  uttered  the  same 
pathetic  strain  which  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of  her 
sister  (32).  Meanwhile  the  mourners,  supposing 
that  Mary  had  gone  to  the  tomb  to  weep  there, 
hastily  followed,  that  they  might  mingle  their  lamen- 
tations with  hers.  Martha's  attempt  to  preserve 
Christ  from  undue  publicity  was  thus  a  failure. 

III.  THE  MIRACLE  (33-44). 

I.  The  Emotions  of  Jesus  (33-38).  A  note  is  now 
sounded  which  John  touches  frequently  in  his  gos- 
pel, and  which  is  very  emphatic  in  this  chapter. 
The  perfect  humanity  of  Jesus  is  exhibited  in  close 
relationship  with  a  wonderful  display  of  His  divin- 
ity. His  affection  for  His  friends,  His  sympathetic 
sorrow.  His  profound  mental  agitation,  as  manifested 
in  this  story,  reveal  the  man  as  clearly  as  the  mir- 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  249 

acle  itself  discloses  God.    Three  emotional  outbursts 
are  recorded  here. 

(l)  When  Jesus  beheld  the  grief  of  Mary  and  the  dem- 
onstration of  the  mourners  it  is  said  "He  groaned 
in  the  spirit,  and  was  troubled,"  or  "troubled  Him- 
self," as  the  marginal  reading  has  it.  Into  the  ut- 
most depths  of  that  emotion  we  can  not  penetrate, 
but  it  expressed  something  more  than  a  natural  hu- 
man sympathy.  "He  troubled  Himself,"  which  is 
the  better  rendering,  suggests  that  Jesus  willed  the 
utterance  of  His  feelings  at  this  moment,  though 
they  were  ever  under  perfect  control.  As  Westcott 
says,  Christ  "took  away  the  sufferings  and  diseases 
of  men  in  some  sense  %  taking  them  on  Himself." 
Here  then  may  have  been  a  voluntary  entrance  of 
the  divine  mind  into  the  very  abyss  of  human  sor- 
row, as  symbolized  by  this  individual  case ;  for  the 
death  of  Lazarus  is  the  type  of  universal  human  ex- 
perience, and  the  sorrow  of  the  sisters  is  the  sorrow 
of  the  world.  But  the  agitation  of  Christ's  spirit 
goes  even  deeper  than  this.  It  can  not  be  explained 
simply  as  grief.  The  language  in  the  original  will 
not  permit  this.  The  margin  of  the  Revised  Version 
renders  it,  "He  was  moved  with  indignation  in  the 
spirit."  There  is  an  evident  blending  of  anger  with 
sorrow  in  the  phrase,  "He  groaned  in  the  spirit  and 
troubled  Himself."  At  what  was  He  indignant? 
Many  and  various  are  the  answers  given  to  this 
question,  (a)  It  is  said  He  was  indignant  at,  not 
in  His  spirit,  being  disturbed  by  his  own  weakness 
in  yielding  to  a  human  emotion.  But  this  is  utterly 
discordant  with  His  character  as  elsewhere  deline- 
ated in  the  Gospels,  (b)  His  indignation  was  the 
inevitable  reaction  of  His  divine  nature  against  His 
human  nature,  which  is  another  putting  of  the  pre- 
ceding explanation.  But  this  is  virtually  saying  that 
the  divine  and  human  in  Jesus  constitute  two  dis- 
tinct personalities,  (c)  He  was  indignant  that  the 
sisters  of  Lazarus  and  their  mourning  friends  should 
so  utterly  misapprehend  the  significance  of  death, 


250      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

which  in  the  view  of  His  doctrines  is  not  a  calamity, 
but  the  providential  means  of  bringing  added  glory 
to  believers.  Or,  He  was  disturbed  by  the  weakness 
of  their  faith  in  Him.  But  this  would  seem  to  be 
contradicted  by  His  own  subsequent  weeping  (35). 
(d)  He  was  indignant  at  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Jews, 
who,  while  mingling  their  lamentations  with  those 
of  the  sisters,  were  preparing  to  treat  Him  treacher- 
ously, (e)  He  was  indignant  at  the  temporary  tri- 
umph of  evil,  as  represented  by  death,  which  is  the 
consequence  of  sin.  (f)  He  shudders  at  the  thought 
that  the  miracle  which  He  is  about  to  perform  in 
response  to  His  affection  for  this  bereaved  family, 
and  which  will  manifest  the  glory  of  God,  will  be 
the  occasion  of  hastening  His  enemies  to  complete 
their  purpose  of  putting  Him  to  death.  The  sphere 
of  His  agitation  is  the  spirit,  which  in  the  Scriptural 
usage  is  the  seat  of  the  religious  emotion,  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  soul,  which  is  the  seat  of  the  nat- 
ural affections.  Perhaps  there  was  a  mingling  of 
several  of  these  elements  in  His  indignation.  It 
would  seem  that  finally  by  an  effort  of  His  will  He 
subdued  the  emotions  which  had  temporarily  shaken 
Him,  and  ended  His  agitation  by  exclaiming,  "Where 
have  ye  laid  him?" 

(2)  When  the  mourners  had  shown  Jesus  the  tomb  of 
Lazarus  it  is  said  "Jesus  wept,"  that  is.  He  simply 
shed  tears.  The  reserve  of  the  record  is  very  re- 
markable. Jesus  broke  forth  into  lamentations  over 
the  nation  and  its  capital  (Luke  xix,  41),  but  in  this 
instance  He  exhibits  deep  sympathy  with  those  whom 
He  loves.  He  who  later  would  partake  of  death  now 
partakes  of  the  sorrow  caused  by  death. 

(3)  When  the  Jews  witnessed  His  tears,  they  cried  out, 
"Behold,  how  He  loved  him!"  This  was  not  an  en- 
tirely correct  interpretation,  for  Jesus  knew  that 
Lazarus  would  return  to  life.  The  sorrow  of  the 
sisters  moved  Him,  rather  than  the  experience  of  the 
brother.  Perhaps  the  questioning  of  the  Jews  con- 
cerning Christ's  ability  to  save  His  friend  from  death 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  251 

may  have  been  sincere  (2,7),  but  it  seems  more  prob- 
able that  it  contained  a  sneer  of  incredulity.  If  so, 
it  will  account  for  the  renewed  struggle  in  the  spirit 
of  Jesus,  which  is  not  so  violent  as  the  first,  nor  so 
open  as  the  second,  and  is  more  quickly  suppressed 
than  either.  "Simddering  in  Himself  again"  {Go- 
det),  He  comes  immediately  to  the  sepulcher.  It  is 
a  cave  and  a  stone  is  placed  against  its  portal. 

2.  The  Act  of  Resurrection  (39-44).  When  Jesus  com- 
mands the  tomb  to  be  opened,  Martha  gently  pro- 
tests again.  Corruption  has  already  begun,  she 
argues.  She  can  not  endure  the  thought  of  expos- 
ing the  beloved  form.  Her  faith  suffers  a  temporary 
obscuration.  It  is  not  strange  that  this  should  be, 
for  the  marvel  of  the  miracle  now  performed  has 
made  many  minds  pause  and  question.  Yet  nothing 
is  impossible  to  the  Almighty.  "He  who  has  cre- 
ated the  organic  cell  within  the  inorganic  matter  is 
not  incapable  of  re-establishing  life  within  the  in- 
animate sustance."  {Godet.)  Jesus  reminds  the 
hesitant  Martha  that  He  has  promised  a  revelation 
of  the  divine  glory  to  her  if  she  can  believe,  and 
the  stone  is  removed.  A  prayer,  not  of  supplication, 
but  of  thanksgiving,  now  follows.  A  command  to 
the  dead  is  uttered  in  a  loud  tone.  The  man  comes 
forth  in  the  clothing  of  "the  silent  house."  The 
company  is  ordered  to  release  him  from  the  garments 
of  the  tomb.  Without  a  word  of  comment  the 
mighty  demonstration  of  Christ's  glory  is  allowed  to 
make  its  own  impression.  What  Lazarus  said,  ^yhat 
emotions  were  awakened  by  his  restoration,  what 
further  occurred  in  his  career — of  these  things  noth- 
ing is  known. 

IV.  CONSEQUENCES  OF  THE  MIRACLE  (45-57). 

I.  The  Witnesses  Divided  (45,  46).  Many  of  those 
who  beheld  this  "sign"  yielded  instant  faith  to  Jesus. 
Plummer  suggests  that  all  of  those  who  actually 
witnessed  the  miracle,  standing  by  Mary's  side,  were 


252      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

convinced  of  Christ's  divinity,  even  tliose  who  were 
naturally  hostile  to  Him.  But  there  were  others 
who,  whatever  may  have  been  their  motive,  went 
away  and  reported  the  occurrence  to  the  authorities. 

2.  The  Decision  of  the  Council  (47-53).     Having  con- 

voked a  session  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the  chief  priests 
and  the  Pharisees  deliberated  on  what  should  be 
done  in  the  situation.  There  was  no  question  as  to 
fact,  for  there  was  apparently  no  doubt  that  the 
miracle  had  been  wrought.  They  were  troubled 
about  the  probable  outcome  of  the  event.  The  mul- 
titudes w^ould  gather  to  the  standard  of  Jesus.  If 
then  He  should  head  a  Messianic  revolt,  the  Roman 
power  would  crush  the  Jewish  nation. 

In  this  crisis  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest,  becomes 
the  mouthpiece  of  the  council.  He  reminds  the  as- 
sembly of  a  national  adage.  The  hour  has  struck 
when  one  man  must  die  in  order  that  the  whole  peo- 
ple may  be  preserved.  The  predestined  victim  is 
Jesus.  John  says  that  this  pronunciamento  is  in  the 
nature  of  a  prophecy,  though  the  high  priest  did  not 
realize  that  he  was  exercising  his  prophetic  func- 
tion. Moreover,  his  proclamation  was  applicable 
not  only  to  the  people  in  Palestine,  but  to  all  "the 
children  of  God  that  were  scattered  abroad."  From 
the  moment  that  the  words  of  Caiaphas  were  ac- 
cepted by  the  Sanhedrin  the  doom  of  Jesus  was 
sealed. 

3.  The  Gathering  Storm   (54-57).     Jesus  retires  to  a 

place  in  the  wilderness  northeast  of  Jerusalem,  not 
precisely  identified  by  the  name,  Ephraim,  given 
to  it,  and  continues  there  with  His  disciples  until 
"His  hour  is  come."  As  the  Passover  approaches, 
and  the  crowds  wend  their  way  to  Jerusalem,  the 
curious  seek  for  Jesus,  and  wonder  among  them- 
selves whether  He  will  appear  at  the  feast.  In 
every  mind  there  is  a  premonition  of  the  final  catas- 
trophe. 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  253 

Hymn  No.  139. 

Strong  Son  of  Son,  immortal  Love, 

Whom  we,  that  have  not  seen  Thy  face, 
By  faith,  and  faith  alone  embrace, 

Believing  where  we  can  not  prove; 

Thou  wilt  not  leave  us  in  the  dust: 
Thou  madest  man,  he  knows  not  why, 
He  thinks  he  was  not  made  to  die: 

And  Thou  hast  made  him:  Thou  art  just. 

— Tennyson. 

Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  know  the  power  of  an  endless  life? 

2.  Have  I  the  evidence  of  immortality  in  my  soul? 


A  Very  Present  Help. 

"The  Master  is  come,  and  calleth  for  thee." 

— John  xi,  28. 

Bismarck  once  said,  "If  it  be  true  that  (as  was  re- 
ported he  declared  of  himself)  the  felling  of  a  tree  was 
the  only  anxiety  that  ever  caused  Gladstone  a  sleepless 
night,  I  do  not  envy  him ;  for  it  would  reflect  little  credit 
upon  his  heart."  If  Christ  had  shown  the  profoundest 
intellect  and  the  uttermost  power  without  the  tenderest 
sympathy.  He  would  have  lacked  the  one  quality  which 
most  endears  Him  to  humanity.  The  gentle  grace  of 
His  compassion  compels  the  homage  of  those  who  would 
stubbornly  resist  the  authority  of  His  will  and  the  su- 
premacy of  His  mind.  And  thus  it  has  been  ordained 
that  the  world  shall  have  opportunity 

"To  learn  not  only  by  the  comet's  rush 
But  a  rose's  birth, — not  by  the  grandeur,  God, — 
But  the  comfort,  Christ." 


254     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

He  comes  to  exhibit  His  fellowship  with  human  suf- 
fering, and  to  proffer  His  consolation  to  those  who  are 
burdened  with  grief.  He  drew  near  to  the  home  of  Mary 
and  Martha  under  adverse  circumstances,  despite  obvi- 
ous and  ever-thickening  perils,  against  the  protests  of  His 
faint-hearted  disciples,  who  reminded  Him  of  the  cruel 
purpose  of  His  enemies  to  destroy  His  life.  Nevertheless 
He  came.  He  had  a  mission  to  perform.  He  must  com- 
fort the  mourner.  He  could  do  this  because  He  was  di- 
vine. He  would  not  be  overwhelmed  by  the  sense  of 
human  misery.  He  knew  how  to  relieve  the  sorrows  of 
mankind. 


The  difference  between  the  best  that  men  can  do  in 
this  regard  and  the  perfect  thing  Christ  achieves,  may  be 
illustrated  by  an  historic  contrast  with  the  career  of  the 
myth-enshrined  Buddha.  He  was  the  son  of  a  king, 
so  the  story  runs,  and  was  endowed  with  royal  qualities. 
Gifts  of  genius  and  physical  beauty  were  his,  and  he  eas- 
ily outstripped  his  comrades  and  masters  in  feats  of  bod- 
ily and  intellectual  strength.  But  from  his  childhood  he 
was  possessed  of  a  deep  melancholy,  from  which  nothing 
could  arouse  him.  It  was  the  insoluble  problem  of  life 
which  weighed  upon  his  soul.  To  divert  his  thoughts 
from  this  solemn  theme,  the  king,  his  father,  practiced 
many  arts.  A  beautiful  princess  became  his  bride,  A 
gorgeous  palace  rose  to  receive  him.  Within  its  spacious 
courts  the  sorrows  of  the  world  were  not  permitted  to 
penetrate.  He  knew  nothing  of  human  misery.  All  was 
light  and  beauty  and  joy  within  the  royal  precincts.  But 
one  morning  the  young  prince  with  a  large  retinue  was 
driven  through  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city,  and  met  on 
the  road  an  old  man,  broken  and  decrepit.  One  could 
see  the  veins  over  his  whole  body.  His  teeth  chattered, 
his  frame  was  covered  with  wrinkles,  he  was  hardly  able 
to  utter  hollow  and  unmelodious  sounds.  He  leaned 
upon  a  stick,  his  limbs  and  joints  constantly  trembling. 
"Who  is  that  man?"  inquired  Buddha  of  the  driver.  "He 
is  small  and  weak,  his  body  is  wasted  away,  he  is  barely 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  255 

able  to  walk.  Is  there  something  peculiar  in  his  family, 
or  is  this  the  common  lot  of  all  created  beings?"  "Sir," 
replied  the  servant,  "that  man  is  sinking  under  old  age. 
He  is  without  support  and  useless.  People  have  aban- 
doned him  like  a  dead  tree  in  the  forest.  But  this  is  not 
peculiar  to  his  family.  In  every  creature  youth  is  de- 
feated by  old  age.  Your  father,  your  mother,  all  your 
relatives,  all  your  friends,  will  come  to  this  sad  state." 
"Alas !"  cried  the  prince,  "are  creatures  so  ignorant,  so 
weak  and  foolish,  as  to  be  proud  of  the  youth  by  which 
they  are  intoxicated,  not  seeing  the  old  age  which  awaits 
them  ?  As  for  me,  I  go  away.  What  have  I,  the  future 
prey  of  old  age,  to  do  with  pleasure?" 

Twice  more  he  drove  out  in  his  chariot,  only  to  en- 
counter on  each  occasion  some  wretched,  suffering  fel- 
low-creature. The  first  was  a  man  at  the  point  of  death, 
parched  and  wasted  wkh  the  fever.  "Alas !"  exclaimed 
the  Buddha,  "health  is  but  the  sport  of  a  dream,  and  the 
fear  of  suffering  must  take  this  frightful  form.  Where 
is  the  wise  man,  who,  after  having  seen  what  he  is,  could 
any  longer  think  of  joy  or  pleasure?"  The  next  time 
he  was  driving  to  his  pleasure  gardens  through  the  west- 
ern gate,  the  prince  saw  a  dead  body  on  the  road,  lying 
on  a  bier,  covered  with  a  cloth.  The  friends  stood  about 
crying,  sobbing,  tearing  their  hair,  covering  their  heads 
with  dust,  striking  their  breasts  and  uttering  wild  cries. 
The  prince,  again  calling  his  coachman  to  witness  the 
painful  scene,  exclaimed :  "O !  woe  to  youth,  which  must 
be  destroyed  by  old  age !  Woe  to  health,  which  must  be 
destroyed  by  so  many  diseases !  Woe  to  this  life,  where 
a  man  remains  so  short  a  time !  If  there  were  no  old 
age,  no  disease,  no  death ;  if  these  could  be  made  captive 
forever!"  Then  betraying  for  the  first  time  his  inten- 
tions, the  young  prince  said :  "Let  us  turn  back ;  I  must 
think  how  to  accomplish  deliverance," 

The  sight  of  a  mendicant  brought  him  to  a  decision. 
The  life  of  a  devotee — austere,  self-conquering,  should 
be  his.  His  resolution  was  taken.  Kingdom,  power, 
glory,  wife,  all  must  be  abandoned  while  he  shut  himself 
up  in  solitude  to  lead  the  life  of  an  ascetic.    Such  is  the 


256     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

story  of  his  renunciation,  and  there  is  undeniable  beauty 
in  it.  But  there  is  no  help  in  it  for  miserable  humanity. 
For  Buddha's  remedy  for  the  curse  of  human  existence, 
with  its  ten  thousand  sorrows,  was  the  gospel  of  annihi- 
lation. Existence  must  be  regarded  as  a  fatal  illusion. 
Self-extinction  in  that  Nirvana,  which  it  is  impossible 
to  describe  in  exact  terms,  was  his  panacea  for  the  ills 
of  this  mortal  state. 

Now  Jesus  of  Nazareth  felt  the  misery  of  the  world 
as  keenly  as  Buddha.  Nay,  He  went  deeper  into  the  sor- 
rows of  humanity  than  any  other  has  done.  The  des- 
perate agony  of  embittered  human  life  He  understood 
to  its  very  bottom.  But  He  had  a  better  way  of  meeting 
human  misery  than  by  preaching  a  philosophy  which 
denies  the  reality  of  life.  He  came  to  bring  consolation, 
and  the  power  of  endurance,  and  "the  peace  of  God, 
which  passeth  all  understanding."  Jesus  came  to  Bethany 
to  weep.  That  is  a  fact  which  enchains  the  attention 
of  the  world.  The  Son  of  God  shed  tears.  "Weak  man," 
the  lordly  Roman  would  sneer,  who  turned  his  face  and 
concealed  it  in  his  robes,  when  he  would  weep.  "Be- 
hold !  how  He  loved  him !"  exclaimed  the  Jews,  as  they 
saw  these  gracious  drops  of  pity  fall  from  His  eyes. 
"Matchless  exhibition  of  compassion !"  cries  the  Chris- 
tian, who  reveres  the  "Man  of  Sorrows"  as  "The  Lord 
of  Glory."  For  this  is  God  who  is  manifesting  such 
sympathy. 

In  the  hour  of  sorrow  we  have  all  felt  the  inade- 
quacy of  human  sympathy.  Perhaps  we  have  even  been 
exasperated  by  the  unhelpful  words  of  well-meaning 
friends.  There  sat  Mary  and  Martha  upon  the  ground 
with  veiled  faces  and  unsandaled  feet,  surrounded  by  a 
dozen  or  more  friends  and  professional  mourners.  What 
an  irritating  experience !  How  little  calculated  to  bring 
peace  to  a  disturbed  heart !  But  Jesus  comes  to  weep 
great  sincere  tears  of  sorrow  and  sympathy.  And  His 
coming  is  sure  to  be  gratefully  received.  There  is  joy 
even  in  grief,  if  Jesus  makes  His  entrance  into  our  homes. 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  257 

The  contrasts  of  sorrow  and  satisfaction  are  important. 
Socrates  in  his  prison  argued  with  his  companions  just 
before  his  death,  that  pain  and  pleasure  are  inseparable, 
and  he  illustrated  it  by  a  little  quibbling  symbolism  about 
the  chafing  of  his  legs  by  the  chain  which  bound  him. 
That  may  have  been  almost  an  unworthy  illustration  from 
so  great  a  man.  But  Christ  has  shown  us  that  in  the 
darkest  night  we  may  see  the  brightest  light ;  that  in  the 
bitterest  cup  the  sweetest  draught  may  be  found,  for  He 
cometh  and  calleth,  and  poureth  in  His  balm,  and  sorrow 
becomes  worth  while,  that  one  may  have  Him  to  ad- 
minister consolation  and  sympathy. 

He  comes  as  the  interpreter  of  life's  mysteries,  the 
revealer  of  human  destiny.  Said  a  French  genius,  "If 
Jesus  had  done  nothing  in  His  earthly  ministry  but  teach 
men  to  say,  'Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,'  that  would 
have  been  abundant  compensation  for  the  vast  outlay 
involved  in  His  dwelling  among  men."  But  the  Father- 
hood of  God  was  only  one  of  His  many  doctrines.  He 
came  to  Bethany  not  merely  to  weep,  and  thus  show  the 
sympathy  of  the  paternal  heart.  He  came  to  talk  in  His 
own  matchless  way.  He  pronounced  one  of  the  sublimest 
sentences  that  ever  issued  from  the  Divine  mind,  when 
He  said :  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  He  that 
believeth  in  Me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live. 
And  whosoever  liveth,  and  believeth  in  Me,  shall  never 
die." 

One  easily  believes  that  John  transcribed  that  sen- 
tence verbatim.  That  w^s  an  utterance  which  did  not 
require  a  repetition.  Once  heard,  it  could  never  be  for- 
gotten. The  critics  tell  us  that  there  is  some  language 
in  this  great  book  which  is  purely  human  and  some  that 
is  partly  human,  partly  divine;  but  this  language  is  all 
divine.  '  The  syllables  are  God's  own  choosing;  the  rhe- 
torical arrangement  is  His.  The  thought  is  divine.  Had 
you  been  present  on  the  occasion  when  Christ  uttered 
these  words,  you  would  have  said :  "He  who_  speaks  thus 
is  either  God  the  omnipotent,  or  the  earth  will  now  open 
17 


258     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

and  swallow  Him  down  as  the  deadliest  blasphemer, 
for  whom  the  jaws  of  perdition  yearn."  You  can  not 
conceive  it  possible  that  a  man  could  get  his  breath  in- 
stantly after  hearing  Christ  utter  those  thrilling  sylla- 
bles. You  can  not  think  that  any  man  in  his  senses 
could  hear  that  sublime  statement  and  be  just  the  same 
man  ever  after.  There  is  something  inexpressibly  awe- 
inspiring  in  that  tremendous  utterance  which  Jesus  came 
up  to  Bethany  to  deliver,  for  it  contains  the  revelation 
of  the  source  and  sustenance  of  life.  Jesus  gave  a  suffi- 
cient answer  to  the  whole  problem  of  human  destiny 
when  He  said :  "I  am  the  resurrection."  Had  the  Egyp- 
tian heard  and  believed,  he  must  have  forever  abandoned 
his  trivial  notions  of  a  human  tribunal  sitting  in  judg- 
ment over  the  character  of  the  dead  on  the  shore  of  a 
sacred  lake.  Had  Plato  heard  and  trusted,  he  would 
have  smiled  at  the  feebleness  of  his  argument  for  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul  when  compared  with  the  majestic 
certainty  of  this  immortal  giver  of  life.  What  need  had 
any  Greek  of  Eleusinian  mysteries  to  protect  him  in  peril 
by  sea  or  land,  if  he  could  have  vital  union  with  One  who 
said:  "If  any  man  believe  in  Me  he  shall  never  die?" 
All  intelligences  have  inquired  about  life  after  death. 
It  is  the  agony  of  the  human  heart  in  all  ages  that  so 
little  has  been  revealed  of  the  shadowy  land.  But  Jesus 
stood  at  the  tomb  of  Lazarus  on  that  eventful  day,  with 
the  weeping  company  about  Him,  and  answered  for  all 
time  the  question  of  all  philosophies,  and  all  religions, 
and  all  agnosticisms,  "I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
And  it  is  the  only  soul-soothing  answer  humanity  has 
ever  obtained.  You  swing  your  telescope  of  reason  far 
out  over  that  field  of  inky  darkness,  which  spreads  itself 
like  a  pall  beyond  the  river  of  death,  whose  hither  shore 
is  visible,  but  whose  farther  banks  are  lost  in  impenetrable 
darkness,  and  you  will  descry  only  a  few  twinkling  stars 
of  hope,  but  no  great  sun-blaze  of  certainty.  Christ  alone 
speaks  definitely  on  the  question — "If  a  man  die  shall  he 
live  again?"  And  His  solution  of  the  mystery  is  this: 
"He  that  believeth  in  Me  shall  never  die." 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  259 

He  comes  to  work  a  wonder,  and  to  demonstrate  His 
unfailing  power.  He  came  to  Bethany  to  perform  the 
all-inclusive  miracle  of  raising  the  dead.  Before  the  cave, 
in  which  His  friend  was  entombed,  He  shouted,  "Lazarus, 
come  forth !"  and  the  dead  proceeded  to  enter  anew  upon 
abundant  life.  In  like  manner  He  comes  to  charm  men 
away  from  the  death  of  sin  into  the  life  of  righteousness. 
It  is  indisputable  that  Christ  never  comes  into  any  human 
life  without  working  miracles.  Wherever  He  enters 
there  is  transformation  of  character  and  entrance  into 
newness  of  life. 

Many  good  people  are  perplexed  because  they  do  not 
witness  such  supernatural  interventions  in  our  times  as 
were  shown  in  the  period  of  Christ's  earthly  ministry. 
Alas !  their  eyes  seem  to  be  holden,  that  they  can  not  see ! 
The  greatest  wonders  are  being  constantly  wrought  in 
their  very  presence.  There  are  grades  and  differences  in 
miracles.  The  lowest  form  is  the  physical,  like  turning 
water  into  wine  or  healing  the  sick.  Above  this  is  the 
miracle  of  mental  elevation,  like  the  divine  inspiration 
of  the  writers  who  gave  us  the  Scriptures.  Higher  than 
either  are  miracles  of  spiritual  transformation.  All  these 
were  witnessed  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Cloven  tongues 
of  fire  sitting  on  the  heads  of  the  apostles  were  seen.  A 
sound  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind  was  heard.  A  thrill 
of  ecstasy  was  felt.  These  phenomena  were  physical. 
Then  the  disciples  spoke  with  languages  in  which  they 
had  never  been  instructed.  That  was  the  miracle  of  in- 
tellectual illumination.  Then  Peter,  the  vacillating  and 
impetuous  coward,  was  transformed  into  Peter  the  lion- 
hearted,  brave,  steady  and  unwavering;  and  three  thou- 
sand people  were  converted.  That  was  the  spiritual  mir- 
acle. Now  Jesus  is  not  engaged  in  our  day  in  perform- 
ing many  physical  miracles.  I  do  not  doubt  His  ability 
to  walk  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic  as  He  trod  the  surface 
of  Galilee,  or  to  cure  the  paralytic  in  New  York  as 
easily  as  He  did  in  Jerusalem.  It  is  simply  a  matter 
of  expediency  with  Him.  For  reasons  which  are  suffi- 
cient to  His  wisdom,  He  is  not  performing  many  such 
wonders  apart  from  the  employment  of  modern  scientific 


260      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

agencies.  But  He  does  more  frequently  show  His  power 
by  lifting  men  above  themselves,  and  by  inspiring  them 
with  an  intellectual  activity  quite  transcending  their  na- 
tive powers.  He  enables  the  uncultured  to  preach  His 
gospel  with  an  eloquence  which  no  instruction  of  the 
schools  can  impart.  He  qualifies  them  to  offer  prayers, 
which  surpass  the  grandest  liturgies  we  possess,  and  He 
inspires  them  with  ability  to  overcome  cultured  paganism 
and  learned  agnosticism  in  a  manner  which  outrivals  all 
philosophy  and  out-maneuvers  all  logic.  Then  He  does 
perform  miracles  of  spiritual  regeneration  in  every  quar- 
ter of  the  globe.  Apollonius  of  Tyana,  ^^sculapius,  Aris- 
teas,  and  others  were  said  by  their  contemporaries  to 
work  miracles,  but  they  died,  and  their  reputed  powers 
went  with  them  into  the  tomb.  Miracle  workers,  ma- 
gicians, soothsayers  have  come  and  gone.  Isaiah  saw  the 
astrologers,  star-gazers,  monthly  prognosticators  fail  be- 
fore the  judgments  of  God.  But  Christ  has  gone  on 
working  miracles  for  nineteen  centuries.  It  is  a  fasci- 
nating story.  He  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  and  was  pent 
up  in  a  rock-hewn  sepulcher.  But  on  the  third  day  He 
walked  in  beauty  and  strength  among  His  friends.  He 
was  afterward  seen  to  sweep  skyward  in  a  radiant  cloud, 
fit  chariot  for  an  ascending  King.  Yet  He  evidently  did 
not  abandon  the  world,  for  His  power  has  continued 
everywhere  in  the  earth.  He  had  vanished  from  the  sight 
of  men  a  considerable  period,  when  Saul  of  Tarsus,  per- 
secuting His  followers,  was  met  on  the  Damascus  road 
by  Him,  and  transformed  into  a  Christian  apostle.  Jesus 
had  been  derided  as  a  fallen  dead  man  for  a  couple  of 
centuries,  when  Julian  the  Apostate,  wounded  on  a  field 
of  battle,  flung  a  handful  of  blood  into  the  air,  and  cried: 
"Thou  hast  conquered,  O  Galilean!"  Triumphed  He  un- 
doubtedly had.  for  though  Diocletian  had,  after  a  merci- 
less persecution,  struck  a  medal  with  the  boastful  inscrip- 
tion, "The  Christian  religion  has  been  exterminated," 
yet  in  a  few  short  years  Christianity  captured  the  Roman 
empire.  On  through  the  centuries  He  has  gone  winning 
the  world  to  Himself.  This  He  has  done  by  the  per- 
petual performance  of  miracles  in  the  transformation  of 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS.  261 

character.  He  has  turned  the  bestial  hbertine  and  the 
sottish  drunkard  into  apostles  of  purity  and  sobriety.  He 
has  crowded  selfishness  out  of  narrow  hearts,  and  filled 
the  empty  chamber  with  Himself,  making  it  a  temple 
of  God.     , 

"He  speaks,  and  listening  to  His  voice, 
New  life  the  dead  receive; 
The  mournful,  broken  hearts  rejoice. 
The  humble  poor  believe." 

What  greater  miracles  than  these  can  any  man  ask 
as  the  proof  of  Christ's  continuous  power  ? 


SECTION  IV. 
PERIOD  OF  JUDGMENT  AND  TRANSITION. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

This  chapter  has  been  called  "the  watershed  of  the 
Gospel."  It  marks  the  point  of  transition  from  the  public 
ministry  of  Jesus  to  the  more  private  disclosures  of  His 
divine  love  which  were  made  during  the  last  days  of 
His  earthly  life. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  period  of  judgment  in  Christ's 
public  ministry.  The  manifestation  of  Christ's  glory 
in  works  and  words  to  the  world  is  closing.  The  wit- 
nesses have  been  presented  in  the  foregoing  chapters. 
The  opposite  results  of  belief  and  unbelief  have  been 
chronicled  from  time  to  time  as  the  action  of  John's 
gospel  has  moved  on  toward  its  conclusion.  The  total 
effects  will  be  shown  in  the  culminating  events  of  Christ's 
passion,  death,  and  resurrection.  These  manifestations 
of  His  glory  will  occur  chiefly  in  the  presence  of  His 
disciples,  who  will  finally  prove  themselves  to  be  full 
of  faith  and  devotion,  save  in  a  single  instance. 

The  section  falls  into  the  following  parts: 

1.  The  Supper  at  Bethany. 

2.  The  Triumphai,  Entry. 

3.  The  Quest  of  the  Greeks. 

4.  The  Finai.  Judgment. 

263 


XXIII. 

THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY. 

CHAPTER  XII.  1-11. 

If  this  is  not  a  picture  constructed  wholly  by  art,  it  rep- 
resents the  recollections  of  one  who  had  himself  been 
present  at  the  events  of  the  day,  who  had  moved  freely  to 
and  fro,  and  very  probably  talked  them  over  after  the  day 
was  done. — Sa.nday, 

Six  days  before  the  Passover — the  last  and  greatest 
one  in  the  Hfe  of  Jesus — He  comes  to  Bethany,  which 
John  distinguishes  as  the  home  of  Lazarus,  who  had 
been  raised  fro  mthe  dead.  What  memories  cluster  about 
A  the  place !  It  is  probably  Saturday  night,  at  the  close  of 
the  Jewish  Sabbath.  The  next  day,  corresponding  to 
the  Christian  Sunday,  the  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusa- 
lem occurs. 

I.  THE  SUPPER  (1-8). 

Compare  accounts  of  the  sam  eevent  in  Matt,  xxvi, 
6-13,  and  Mark  xiv,  3-9.    The  supper  seems  to  be  occa- 
sioned by  gratitude  for  the  work  wrought  in  Bethany. 
It  is  a  kind  of  semi-public  testimonial,  a  warm-hearted 
protest  against  the  decree  of  the  chief  priests  and  Phari- 
sees (xi,  57).    It  occurs  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper, 
as  we  learn  from  Matthew  and  Mark.   Perhaps  this  man 
had  been  healed  by  Christ,  and  possibly  he  was  a  rela- 
tive or  intimate  friend  of  Lazarus,  who  is  the  figure  of 
distinction  in  the  scene,  and  who  sits  as  guest ;  so  the 
mention  of  his  presence  would  indicate.     At  this  supper 
Martha  serves — a  characteristic  touch  (Luke  x,  40). 
I.  A  Surprising  Occurrence  (3).    Mary  will  also  serve, 
and    in    her    characteristic    fashion.      Toward    the 
close  of  the  meal  she  breaks  a  flask  of  nard — evry 
precious — and  anoints  the  Master  as  He  reclines  at 
265 


266     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

table.  Several  points  of  extravagance  are  noticeable 
in  her  conduct.  The  financial  expenditure  is  very 
considerable.  The  cost  of  the  perfume  was  not  less 
than  $ioo  in  our  money.  The  flask  was  hermetic- 
ally sealed,  and  could  not  be  broken  without  the 
loss  of  all  its  contents.  The  act  of  devotion  itself 
ran  beyond  the  conventional  bounds  of  hospitality, 
for  Mary  not  only  anointed  the  head  of  Jesus,  as 
Matthew  and  Mark  relate,  but  also  His  feet,  as  John 
records.  But  Mary's  devotion  made  still  further 
sacrifice.  The  profusion  of  the  liquid  perfume  fairly 
drenched  the  feet  of  Jesus ;  whereupon  she  unbound 
her  hair — a  disgrace  for  a  Hebrew  woman  in  pub- 
lic— and  wiped  them  with  her  long  tresses.  This  was 
the  utmost  stretch  of  personal  homage.  "No  service 
is  too  mean  for  her  person.  All  that  she  is  belongs 
to  Him,  as  well  as  all  that  she  has."  (Godet.) 
Perhaps  she  had  heard  of  the  deed  which  the  sinful 
woman  in  Galilee  had  performed  in  devotion  to 
Christ,  and  was  determined  that  no  friend  of  His 
should  fall  short  of  the  alien. 

2.  An  Ignoble  Protest  (4-6).  The  churl  Judas  has  not 
fineness  of  soul  enough  to  see  the  beauty  of  this  act, 
and  condemns  it  with  coarse  indelicacy.  Mere  cour- 
tesy ought  to  have  withheld  his  blame.  The  Synop- 
tists  do  not  mention  his  name.  Matthew  says  "the 
disciples"  uttered  complaint.  Mark  says,  "Some" 
were  indignant.  But  John  knew  the  inspiration  of 
their  resentment,  and  puts  the  figure  of  the  mal- 
content before  us.  The  plausible  reason  which  Judas 
gives  for  his  censure  only  veils  the  iniquity  of  his 
heart.  Avarice  was  the  spring  of  his  indignation. 
He  carried  the  bag  and  was  accustomed  to  pilfer  its 
contents,  John  hints.  The  "poor"  for  whom  he 
cared  were  represented  by  himself  exclusively.  In 
addition  to  avarice,  disappointment  over  Christ's 
whole  program  doubtless  actuated  him.  He  had  wit- 
nessed the  attempt  of  the  multitude  to  make  Christ 
a  king  after  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  and 
could  not  approve  of  His  refusal.     His  apostasy 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.  267 

in  spirit  had  then  been  disclosed  (vi,  70,  71).  His 
irritation  only  waited  for  such  a  chance  to  express 
itself  as  was  afforded  by  this  occurrence. 

3.  An  Unexpected  Commendation   (7,  8).     "Let  her 

alone,"  etc.  Do  not  disturb  the  sanctity  of  this 
beautiful  deed.  She  has  anticipated  my  embalming. 
It  is  a  parting  tribute.  If  this  tender  ministry  were 
performed  after  My  death  no  one  would  condemn 
it.  Why  do  you  object  to  it  now?  In  a  few  days 
I  shall  be  gone.  Perhaps  she  foresees  My  doom 
in  the  gathering  darkness,  and  would  comfort  Me. 
The  poor  you  have  with  you  always — there  is  a 
constant  obligation.  Me  ye  have  now,  but  not  for- 
ever— there  is  a  temporary  and  immediate  obliga- 
tion. The  encomium  pronounced  by  Jesus  is  given 
in  more  extended  form  by  the  other  evangelists. 
"Wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  there  shall  also  this  that  this  woman 
hath  done  be  told  for  a  memorial  of  her."  (Matt. 
xxvi,  13.)  World-wide  fame  for  Mary_:  world-wide 
infamy  for  Judas. 

II.  THE  SEQUEL  (9-11). 

The  chief  priests  were  enraged  by  the  results  of 
Christ's  increasing  popularity.  Every  triumph  of  Jesus, 
according  to  John's  record,  only  intensified  the  hatred 
of  the  rulers.  He  has  no  sooner  received  this  superlative 
tribute  of  affection  than  they  strike  at  Him.  This  time 
it  is  through  his  friend  Lazarus.  The  crowds  run  to- 
gether to  see  him.  The  dead  man  raised  to  life  is  a 
perpetual  memorial  of  Christ's  power.  Belief  is  develop- 
ing every  day,  and  for  this  reason  they  are  furious. 


Hymn  No.  694. 

She  loved  her  Savior,  and  to  Him 
Her  costliest  present  brought; 

To  crown  His  head,  or  grace  His  name, 
No  gift  too  rare  she  thought. 

— William  Cutter. 


268      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  count  the  cost  of  my  gifts  to  Christ? 

2.  Have  I  estimated  the  cost  of  His  gift  to  me? 


Divine  Extravagance. 

"Then  said  Jesus,  Let  her  alone." — John  xii,  7. 

Thomas  Carlyle  went  one  day  with  the  artist  Millais 
to  look  at  the  latter's  house.  After  gazing  with  wonder 
at  all  its  splendors,  its  marble  pavements,  its  white  marble 
columns,  its  stately  staircase  and  beautiful  dados,  he 
turned  to  Millais  and  said,  in  his  brusque  manner,  "Has 
paint  done  all  this,  Mr.  Millais?"  The  painter  laughed 
and  replied,  "It  has,  Mr.  Carlyle."  "Then,"  said  the 
occupant  of  the  modest  house  at  Chelsea,  "all  I  have  to 
say  is,  there  are  more  fools  in  the  world  than  I  thought 
there  were."  That  people  should  pay  an  artist  for  bits 
of  canvas  smeared  with  paint  sums  of  money  of  suffi- 
cient magnitude  to  enable  him  to  live  like  a  prince  is  a 
thing  calculated  to  stagger  many  persons  who  are  devoid 
of  an  aesthetic  passion,  though  one  must  feel  that  Car- 
lyle was  slyly  facetious  rather  than  dead  in  earnest  when 
he  spoke  thus  to  Millais.  Lavish  expenditures  which 
apparently  serve  no  practical  end,  like  that  of  Mary  at 
Bethany,  puzzle  matter-of-fact  persons  seriously.  Judas 
Iscariot  was  a  thief — we  have  it  on  John's  word — and 
had  the  bag,  and  carried  away  what  was  put  therein; 
and  the  poor  he  cared  for  were  confined  to  himself.  But 
there  are  honest  people,  with  an  earnest  desire  to  see 
worthy  things  accomplished  in  society,  who  ask,  "To 
what  purpose  is  this  waste?"  when  they  observe  enor- 
mous gifts  bestowed  upon  objects  which  they  feel  are 
not  related  to  any  serious,  business-like  undertaking. 
They  have  not  discovered  the  truth  of  George  W.  Cable's 
aphorism,  that  "Religion  without  poetry  is  as  dead  a 
thing  as  poetry  without  religion."  There  is  never  an  act 
of  apparently  prodigal  benevolence  that  some  one  who 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.  269 

knows  the  arithmetic  of  the  world  better  than  he  does 
the  algebra  of  love  will  not  hasten  to  pronounce  his  con- 
demnation on  the  waste.  It  is  an  edifying  thing  to  ob- 
serve how  Jesus  disposes  of  such  a  case. 

Let  us  paraphrase  His  words.  "Do  not  vex  this 
woman,"  He  virtually  says  to  His  disciples  (and  we 
learn  from  Matthew  that  they  all  murmured  when  one 
had  started  the  protest),  "Be  gentlemen  at  least.  How 
rude,  indelicate,  and  boorish  it  is  to  blurt  out  your  com- 
plaint in  her  presence.  If  you  can  not  understand  this 
beautiful  act,  do  not  trample  the  woman  in  the  dust 
who  was  capable  of  doing  it.  Moreover,  I  approve  of 
what  you  call  'this  waste.'  She  has  done  a  good  work' 
on  Me.  If  you  can  not  appreciate  it,  will  you  not  be 
considerate  enough  to  let  Me  have  some  joy  in  it?  Do 
not  worry  about  the  poor  for  whom  you  profess  such 
concern.  You  will  have  opportunities  enough  for  charity 
in  their  behalf.  But  I  shall  not  be  with  you  much  longer. 
If  I  were  ready  for  the  tomb  you  would  not  grudge  the 
attentions  which  affection  would  pay  to  My  body.  Why 
protest  now  that  this  woman  has  anointed  Me  in  ad- 
vance of  My  burial?  Be  assured  that  this  beautiful  deed 
will  run  round  the  world.  No  power  can  hem  it  in. 
Wherever  the  gospel  is  preached  this  that  she  has  done 
will  be  repeated  as  a  memorial  of  her."  He  might  have 
added  with  equal  pertinency,  "And  your  cheap  criticism 
will  stand  up  against  you  forever." 

Let  us  get  out  of  the  world  of  calculation  once  in 
awhile,  and  into  the  realm  of  ideal  love.  Economy,  pru- 
dence, frugality — these  are  exemplary  virtues,  but  they 
are  means  to  an  end :  they  enable  their  possessor  to  be 
extravagant  when  the  justifiable  opportunity  arrives. 
When  love  triumphs  the  entire  hoard  of  a  life-time  must 
be  sacrificed.  Have  you  never  heard  of  a  rich  man  beg- 
garing himself  for  the  sake  of  a  son  dearer  to  him  than 
the  accumulations  of  half  a  hundred  years? 

Let  there  be  a  little  more  of  the  fragrance  of  wasted 
perfume  in  the  world.    If  devout  persons  wish  to  squan- 


270      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

der  their  substance  on  the  Lord,  ought  we  to  take  out 
a  pencil  and  estimate  the  cost,  and  reckon  what  might 
have  been  accomplished  with  the  price,  if  it  had  been 
applied  to  a  practical  thing? 

If  a  man  spends  a  large  amount  of  money  on  his 
friends,  for  sheer  love  of  them,  and  not  for  the  sake  of 
display,  is  it  not  churlish  to  censure  him?  Particularly 
if  you  know  he  is  generous  in  his  contributions  to  the 
welfare  of  the  unfortunate.  If  soldiers  hurl  themselves 
against  immovable  ranks  of  enemies,  and  are  dashed  to 
pieces  like  the  billows  breaking  on  a  rocky  coast,  just 
because  they  will  show  their  contempt  of  death  and  their 
love  for  the  flag,  shall  we  carp  about  the  needlessness  of 
their  sacrifice?  If  a  man  will  give  everything  he  owns 
to  Jesus  Christ,  and  reduce  himself  to  poverty  that  he 
may  follow  his  Master  without  a  single  distraction,  shall 
we  call  him  visionary  and  impractical? 

The  newspapers  recently  reported  that  a  man  in  the 
West  had  years  ago  deeded  all  his  property  to  a  mis- 
sionary society,  and  now  in  his  old  age  he  had  been  com- 
pelled to  accept  the  bounty  of  a  public  institution  for 
the  poor.  The  tale  proved  to  be  an  invention,  but  sup- 
pose it  had  been  true — though  it  might  have  reflected 
on  the  beneficiaries  of  his  liberality — would  not  the  act 
itself  have  been  beautiful  ?  And  is  there  too  much  beauty 
of  that  kind  in  the  world? 

When  Rebecca  Salome  Foster,  affectionately  known 
as  the  "Tombs  Angel,"  perished  in  a  terrible  fire  in  New 
York,  eminent  lawyers  addressed  the  various  courts  then 
in  session,  expressing  their  profound  sorrow  over  her 
death,  judges  pronounced  eulogies  upon  her  character 
from  the  bench,  and  the  entire  body  of  one  court,  includ- 
ing every  subordinate  officer,  attended  her  funeral.  Who 
was  this  woman,  that  she  should  be  the  recipient  of  such 
unwonted  honors?  She  was  a  noble  soul  lavishing  her 
life  upon  the  unfortunate  and  the  sinning.  One  of  the 
judges  in  his  address  in  court  said :  "Her  appearance 
at  the  dark  and  gloomy  prison  cell  was  to  the  inmates 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.  271 

like  the  entrance  of  a  veritable  sunbeam.  Numberless 
lonely  and  weary  hearts  have  been  cheered,  gladdened, 
and  even  made  radiant  by  her  kind  ministrations  and 
words  of  good  cheer,  and  numberless  persons  who  had 
strayed  from  the  strait  and  narrow  way  were  brought 
back  by  her  sweet  influences  to  the  paths  of  rectitude 
and  virtue."  Was  that  life  lost  amid  the  ruins  of  the 
criminal  classes  to  whom  her  work  carried  her?  On  the 
morning  of  her  funeral  an  Italian  woman  who  had  been 
greatly  helped  by  the  "Tombs  Angel"  in  two  trials  for 
murder  from  which  she  had  escaped  with  acquittal,  came 
to  the  matron  of  the  prison  and  said:  "I  haven't  got 
much  money.  I  am  not  fit  to  go  to  the  church  in  this 
dress ;  I  '11  just  go  and  look  in.  She  was  my  friend,  i 
have  twenty-fhre  cents.  Do  you  suppose  if  I  bought  a 
quarter's  worth  of  flowers  they  'd  take  them  in?"  When 
assured  that  probably  they  would,  the  poor  creature  went 
away  to  purchase  her  tribute  of  love  for  the  woman  who 
had  befriended  her  in  a  time  of  awful  peril. 

Can  we  estimate  the  worth  of  such  expenditures  in 
any  terms  familiar  to  the  commercial  world?  "Inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  Me."  That  is  the  justification 
for  sacrifice.  These  deeds  of  uncalculatmg  love  are 
grateful  to  the  Master.  Christ's  disciples  did  not  dream 
that  He  who  was  so  strong  and  wise  had  any  need  of 
Mary's  extravagant  tribute  of  aflfection.  They  did  not 
fathom  the  anguish  of  His  spirit  occasioned  by  the 
world's  cold  contempt.  But  He  says :  "L,et  her  alone. 
She  hath  wrought  a  good  work  on  Me."  Against  all 
the  criticism  of  men  upon  deeds  that  involve  sacrifice 
Jesus  is  protesting  that  these  are  done  for  His  sake,  and 
that  to  Him  they  are  the  source  of  deep  joy.  Caesar 
Augustus  was  accustomed  to  sit  one  day  each  year  in  the 
public  market-place  garbed  as  a  mendicant,  to  receive 
the  alms  of  the  people.  Some  persons  may  regard  this 
as  an  edifying  example  of  humility,  though  others  may 
construe  it  as  an  exhibition  of  secret  pride.  But  Jesus 
would  have  His  followers  understand  that  in  every  desti- 
tute and  miserable  human  being  in  the  world,  however 


272     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

ragged  and  foul,  He  is  offering  Himself  as  a  suppliant 
for  kindness  and  mercy.  If  we  inquire  how  we  may 
pay  Him  the  personal  tribute  which  it  is  evident  He  so 
much  values,  let  us  learn  that  whatever  is  wrought  for 
the  elevation  of  those  for  whom  He  died  is  given  directly 
to  Him. 

It  must  have  been  observed  by  all  careful  students 
of  social  progress  that  the  persons  who  are  usually  re- 
garded as  visionary  are  for  the  most  part  the  benefac- 
tors of  the  world.  The  disciples  were  afraid  that  the 
poor  would  be  overlooked  if  it  became  the  custom  for 
devout  friends  of  Jesus  to  lavish  their  gifts  upon  Him. 
But  he  assured  them  that  if  they  were  steadily,  regu- 
larly, and  consistently  ministering  to  the  poor  who  were 
always  before  their  eyes,  they  might  without  injury  to 
others  or  themselves  perform  extraordinary  acts  of  love 
to  their  Master.  If  enthusiastic  women  will  rhapsodize 
in  religious  feeling,  if  the  saint  will  linger  long  hours 
upon  his  knees  in  adoration  and  communion,  if  the  pietist 
will  meditate  and  fasten  his  eyes  upon  the  Lord  when 
he  might  be  doing  something  to  help  others,  let  us  not 
be  irritated  by  these  demonstrations  of  devotion  to  the 
person  of  Christ,  let  us  not  decry  them  as  making  no 
capital  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  How  do  we  know  their 
value?  And  have  not  the  deeply  spiritual  always  shown 
themselves  to  have  the  interests  of  practical  Christianity 
upon  their  hearts?  Have  they  not  built  hospitals  and 
orphanages  ?  Do  they  not  labor  for  the  rescue  of  the  de- 
pressed populations  of  their  own  and  foreign  lands  ?  And 
if  they  do  not  always  evince  the  most  practical  intelli- 
gence in  directing  the  work  of  redeeming  society,  is  it 
not  something  that  they  are  giving  expression  to  those 
lofty  ideals  which  develop  character,  and  is  it  not  more 
that  they  are  gratifying  God  by  their  complete  dedication 
to  Him  ? 

Well  and  truly  sings  Browning's  Abt  Vogler ; 


THE  SUPPER  AT  BETHANY.  273 

"All  we  have  willed  or  hoped  or  dreamed  of  good  shall 
exist ; 
Not  its  semblance,  but  itself;  no  beauty,  nor  good,  nor 
power 
Whose  voice  has  gone  forth,  but  each  survives  for  the 
melodist 
When  eternity  confirms  the  conception  of  an  hour. 
The  high  that  proved  too  high,  the  heroic  for  the  earth 
too  hard. 
The  passion  that  left  the  ground  to  lose  itself  in  the 
sky, 
Are  music  sent  up  to  God  by  the  lover  and  the  bard ; 
Enough  that  He  heard  it  once:  we  shall  hear  it  bye 
and  bye." 


18 


XXIV. 

THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY. 

CHAPTER  XII.  12-19. 

Whether  we  regard  the  sublimity  of  its  thought,  the 
width  and  spirituality  of  its  conception  of  religion,  the 
depth  of  its  moral  insight,  or  the  tragic  pathos  of  its  story, 
we  can  not  but  feel  that  we  have  before  us  the  work  of  a 
master  mind. — Ja.mes  Drummond. 

Introduction, 

He  who  had  hitherto  resisted  every  proposal  of  the 
multitude  to  pay  Him  royal  honors  now  on  the  eve  of 
His  passion  yields  to  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people.  The 
narrative  herein  given  must  be  compared  with  Matt, 
xxi,  i-ii  ;  Mark  xi,  i-ii;  Luke  xix,  29-40,  in  order  to 
obtain  a  full  appreciation  of  the  event  which  it  records. 
Each  of  the  evangelists  appears  to  describe  it  from  a 
different  point  of  view.  The  Synoptics  evidently  follow 
Jesus  from  Bethany,  but  John  starts  with  the  crowd  in 
Jerusalem,  which,  on  hearing  that  Jesus  is  approaching 
the  capital,  hurries  away  to  meet  Him.  Moreover,  John 
fits  the  story  into  the  dramatic  scheme  of  his  work.  He 
does  not  attempt  to  present  a  complete  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  the  triumphal  entry.  He  wishes  chiefly  to  show 
its  causal  connection  with  the  final  condemnation  of 
Jesus.  From  the  raising  of  Lazarus  onward  each  event 
brings  the  climax  of  the  tragedy  nearer.  The  triumphal 
entry  dispells  every  feeling  of  hesitation  which  has  re- 
strained his  adversaries, 

I.  THE  ENTHUSIASM  OF  THE  PEOPLE  (12-13). 

The  day  following  the  supper  at  which  Mary  anointed 
Jesus  it  became  known  in  Jerusalem  that  Jesus  would 
come  into  the  city.     Having  spent  the  night  in  Bethany, 

274 


THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  275 

it  is  evident  from  Mark's  narrative  that  Jesus  did  not 
begin  His  progress  toward  Jerusalem  until  the  latter 
half  of  the  day.  It  was  too  late  on  His  arrival  in  Jeru- 
salem for  Him  to  accomplish  anything  further.  He 
therefore  returned  to  Bethany  for  the  night,  and  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  traders  from  the  Temple  occurred  on  the 
following  day.  The  crowd  which  moved  from  Jerusalem 
to  meet  Him  must  have  included  travelers  from  many 
countries,  who  had  come  to  celebrate  the  Passover, 
though  a  very  large  proportion  of  them  were  doubtless 
Galileans.  Those  who  started  earliest  from  Jerusalem 
reached  Bethany  in  time  to  form  an  escort  for  Jesus  on 
His  entrance  into  the  city.  The  rest  must  have  met  Him 
on  the  road  and  swelled  the  company  attending  Him. 
Taking  palm  branches — emblems  of  strength,  beauty, 
peace,  and  joy — they  waved  them  before  Him,  and  cried, 
"Hosanna,"  etc.  Their  words,  as  well  as  their  actions, 
showed  that  they  intended  to  salute  Jesus  as  Messiah. 
The  phraseology  of  the  people  is  given  variously,  for 
their  cries  would  not  always  be  the  same.  These  accla- 
mations are  taken  from  the  ii8th  Psalm,  which  is  said 
to  have  been  written  for  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacles, 
after  the  captivity,  or  for  the  dedication  of  the  second 
Temple,  and  which  is  distinctly  Messianic.  "Hosanna." 
meaning  "Save,  I  pray,"  is  nearly  equivalent  to  the  Eng- 
lish, "God  save  the  king!"  The  words,  "Blessed  is  He 
that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  even  the  King  of 
Israel,"  a  better  reading  than  that  of  the  Authorized 
Version,  places  the  divine  work  and  the  national  mission 
of  the  Messiah  in  perfect  unity.  There  can  be  no  mistak- 
ing the  meaning  of  the  multitude. 

II.   THE  ACQUIESCENCE  OF  JESUS  (14-18). 

It  is  evident  that  Jesus  deliberately  entered  into  this 
movement.  He  began  this  progress,  knowing  that  He 
would  receive  the  acclamations  of  the  people.  He  even 
prepared  to  make  His  entrance  into  Jerusalem  as  impres- 
sive as  possible.  The  Synoptists  relate  that  He  sent  two 
of  His  disciples  to  secure  an  ass,  which  John  simply  says 


276      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

He  "found,"  and  on  which  He  made  His  advance  in  royal 
fashion.  This  animal  was  chosen,  not  so  much  as  a  mark 
of  humihty,  though  it  did  serve  this  purpose,  as  an  in- 
dication that  Christ's  kingdom  was  based,  not  upon 
wealth  and  mihtary  power,  with  which  horses  and  char- 
iots were  identified  in  the  mind  of  the  Jew,  but  upon 
gentleness  and  peace.  The  free  quotation  from  Zech. 
ix,  9,  which  John  would  have  us  understand  is  prophecy 
now  fulfilled  by  Christ,  accords  with  this  view.  It  is 
tantamount  to  saying,  "A  king  who  comes  in  this  fashion 
wall  never  be  an  oppressor."  The  significance  of  all  this 
the  disciples  did  not  grasp  at  the  moment ;  but  after  the 
ascension  and  the  outpouring  of  Pentecost  they  under- 
stood it  as  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  and  realized  their  own 
unconscious  part  in  it  (15,  16). 

There  are  apparently  two  multitudes  mentioned  in 
verses  17,  18,  confirming  the  description  already  given. 
There  are  those  who  came  from  Bethany  with  Jesus,  hav- 
ing witnessed  the  raising  of  Lazarus,  and  there  are  those 
who  went  out  from  Jerusalem  to  meet  Him,  having  heard 
the  report  of  this  great  miracle.  In  both  cases  the  en- 
thusiasm is  due  to  the  same  cause,  and  this  is  also  the 
cause  which  urges  the  rulers  to  hasten  their  evil  machina- 
tions. 

III.  THE  DESPAIR  OF  THE  PHARISEES  (v.  19). 

The  official  enemies  of  Jesus  now  realize  that  halting 
measures  will  no  longer  answer  their  purpose.  "The 
world,"  they  exclaim  with  an  exaggeration  born  of  their 
discomfiture,  "is  gone  after  him."  The  counsels  of 
Caiaphas  (xi,  49,  50)  ought  long  ago  to  have  prevailed. 
No  time  can  be  lost.  Henceforth  the  whole  ecclesiastical 
organization  is  solidly  massed  against  Jesus. 


Hymn  No.  150. 

Ride  on,  ride  on  in  majesty! 
Hark  !  all  the  tribes  Hosanna  cry  ; 
O  Savior,  meek,  pursue  Thy  road 
With  palms  and  scattered  garments  strowed. 
— Henry  H.  Milman. 


THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  277 

Personal  Questions: 

1.  Is  Christ  my  King,  or  do  I  yield  tribute  to  anotRer? 

2.  Do  I  worship  Christ  with  joyous  acclamations? 


Wanted— By  the  World. 

"Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  Him." — John  xii,  19. 

It  is  an  aphorism  in  free  governments  that  the  people 
can  be  depended  upon.  The  popular  instinct  is  reliable. 
When  the  multitude  follows  its  native  impulses,  the  poli- 
tician in  a  republic  discovers  the  safe  path  for  his  feet. 
Travelers  tell  us  that  "there  are  shoals  of  turtles  that 
regularly  swim  from  the  Bay  of  Honduras  to  the  Cayman 
Islands  near  Jamaica,  a  favorable  spot  for  laying  their 
eggs,  and  make  this  distance  of  four  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  with  such  precision  that  in  thick  weather  ships  can 
sail  under  the  guidance  of  their  rustling  in  the  water." 
It  is  thus  by  the  correct  interpreting  of  the  people's  move- 
ments that  statesmen  have  learned  how  to  order  their 
own  courses. 

The  popular  judgment  is  with  Christ  to-day,  as  it  was 
in  the  days  of  His  earthly  career.  The  Scribes  and  the 
Pharisees,  the  priests  and  the  elders,  whose  interests 
seemed  to  be  imperiled  by  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  sought 
to  destroy  Him,  but  "the  common  people  heard  Him 
gladly."  The  rulers  disconsolately  said  to  one  another, 
as  they  witnessed  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  at  Christ's 
triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  "Perceive  ye  how  ye  pre- 
vail nothing?  Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  Him!" 
They  expressed  their  discomfiture  in  an  exaggeration  of 
the  truth,  but  they  unconsciously  made  a  prophetic  utter- 
ance which  is  being  fulfilled  in  our  times.  Wherever 
Christ  is  clearly  seen  He  is  in  almost  unanimous  demand. 
The  pulpit  which  does  not  proclaim  Christ  as  the  hope 
of  the  world  has  no  grip  upon  the  people. 


278      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

If  we  are  honestly  seeking  the  reasons  which  make 
Christ  the  center  of  attraction  wherever  He  is  disclosed 
in  His  real  character,  we  have  not  far  to  go.  In  the  first 
place,  He  knows  men,  and  they  recognize  in  Him  one 
who  understands  them  with  marvelous  exactness  and  per- 
fect sympathy.  St.  John  says  of  Him,  "He  knew  all  men, 
and  needed  not  that  any  should  testify  of  man,  for  He 
knew  what  was  in  man."  The  basis  of  this  knowledge 
was  in  His  own  complete  human  nature.  He  was  a  kind 
of  epitome  of  humanity.  He  summed  up  in  Himself  all 
there  is  in  our  human  nature  except  sin,  which  was 
brought  in  from  the  outside,  an  alien  admixture,  more 
foreign  to  us  than  are  the  depressed  populations  of  Eu- 
rope to  our  nation.  As  the  old  theologians  used  to  say 
about  Christ's  human  nature,  it  is  "without  excess  or 
defect."  He  is  all  that  any  man  is,  and  no  more  than 
any  man  is,  as  a  man.  He  is  not  abnormal  in  what  He 
is,  or  in  what  He  is  not,  sinlessness  alone  excepted.  This 
makes  Him  an  inspiring  and  helpful  personality  at  once. 
Men  say,  when  they  read  His  words,  examine  His  acts, 
and  feel  the  influence  of  His  life,  "Here  is  a  man  who 
knows  me  better  than  I  know  myself."  Margaret  Fuller 
once  expressed  the  desire  to  explore  the  entire  cycle  of 
human  experience.  Christ  is  the  only  person  who  can 
be  said  to  have  realized  that  vast  ambition,  and  it  has 
made  Him  an  universal  character.  He  is  the  one  whole 
man.  He  has  described  the  circumference  of  human  pos- 
sibilities. He  expresses  what  humanity  feels  about  sin 
and  righteousness  with  a  fullness  which  embraces  the 
deepest  moral  consciousness  of  the  race.  The  command- 
ments of  God  are  written  upon  the  texture  of  the  human 
soul.  When  Christ  speaks  men  hear  a  familiar  voice. 
They  recognize  in  Him  the  prophet  and  seer  of  universal 
humanity.  He  thus  becomes  the  articulate  exponent  of 
their  greatest  aims,  their  noblest  feelings,  their  sublimest 
sentiments.  What  wonder  that  He  should  be  so  univer- 
sally attractive !    "Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  Him  P' 

Again,  Christ  commands  the  attention  of  the  world 
because  he  knows  God.    This  knowledge  is  based  on  His 


THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  279 

divine  nature,  as  His  knowledge  of  men  is  based  on  His 
human  nature.  He  is  the  expression  of  God  in  terms  of 
human  hfe.  With  remarkable  felicity  He  is  called  the 
Word.  He  is  the  manifestation  of  God  in  the  flesh. 
This  makes  Him  wondrously  attractive,  for  the  world  is 
anxious  to  learn  about  God. 

What  other  subject  would  hold  the  multitude  so  con- 
tinuously and  so  long?  We  are  surprised  that  a  few 
thousand  people  will  crowd  the  largest  auditorium  of  a 
city  to  listen  to  political  harangues  during  a  stirring  cam- 
paign. We  wonder  at  the  throngs  which  nightly  repair 
to  the  numerous  theaters.  But  it  is  a  far  more  impressive 
thing  to  behold  the  millions  who  throughout  the  entire 
world  congregate  in  churches,  cathedrals,  and  chapels  to 
hear  about  God.  Even  the  infidel  lecturer  secures  his 
audience  by  talking  against  God.  Any  mountebank  or 
charlatan  can  obtain  a  hearing  if  he  will  speak  about 
God.    There  is  no  topic  more  current  or  more  compelling. 

If  we  can  find  any  one  who  will  give  us  a  helpful  idea 
of  God  we  are  ready  to  follow  him  anywhere.  That  ex- 
plains the  vogue  of  many  a  fantastic  cult  which  is  to-day 
imposing  vipon  the  credulity  of  the  race.  There  is  a 
subtle  feeling  that  possibly  the  most  grotesque  religious 
leader  may  be  able  to  make  more  obvious  and  intelligible 
the  character  of  God.  Now,  Christ  is  the  supreme  reve- 
lation of  God.  Philip's  natural  request,  "Show  us  the 
Father  and  it  sufficeth  us,"  is  met  with  the  response,  "He 
that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father  also."  God  comes 
forth  into  clear  shining  in  the  figure  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Moreover,  Christ  knows  how  to  bring  man  and  God 
together.  This  knowledge  is  based  on  his  complete 
divine-human  nature.  "There  is  one  God,  and  one  medi- 
ator between  God  and  man,  the  man  Jesus  Christ."  The 
streams  of  heaven  and  earth  flow  together  in  Him.  By 
showing  the  infinite  pity  of  God,  and  the  amazing  love 
of  the  Father  in  heaven,  He  is  attracting  the  sinful  race 
back  to  the  throne  of  the  Eternal.  By  His  cross  He  is 
perpetually  reconciling  men  to  God.  "And  I,  if  I  be 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me,"  is 
His  promise,  and  every  hour  since  His  exaltation  upon 


280      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

Calvary  has  witnessed  the  fulfillment  of  that  prediction. 
"Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  Him." 

It  is  sometimes  suggested  that  the  Gospel  is  efiFete 
because  the  Churches  in  some  instances  fail  of  accom- 
plishing the  salvation  of  society.  The  critics  apparently 
forget  that  the  custodians  of  Christ's  teachings  may  them- 
selves be  at  fault  through  lack  of  simple  fidelity  to  their 
Master.  The  permanency  of  Christ's  message  to  human- 
ity is  one  of  its  greatest  wonders.  "Heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away,"  said  Jesus,  "but  My  words  shall  not 
pass  away."  Other  men's  words  and  works  become  obso- 
lete or  require  emendation.  The  philosophers,  scientists, 
critics  change  their  positions  and  take  new  points  of  view. 
The  author  corrects  the  mistakes  of  his  first  edition  in 
subsequent  issues.  But  there  are  no  amendments  to  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Christ  has  not  abated  His  utter- 
ances on  any  subject  in  the  most  trivial  degree.  His 
words  ring  as  strong  and  awaken  as  hearty  response  in 
the  souls  of  men  now  as  ever.  No  apology  for  Him  is 
ever  necessary.  Paul  needs  an  occasional  defender. 
Luther  requires  an  advocate  from  time  to  time.  Wesley 
demands  an  interpreter  to  reconcile  us  to  his  peculiarities. 
But  Jesus  stands  on  His  own  merits.  It  is  an  imperti- 
nence to  explain  Him.  He  is  still  saying,  "Which  of  you 
convinceth  Me  of  sin  ?"  And  the  challenge  is  never  taken 
up.  The  charm  of  Christ's  life  as  narrated  in  the  me- 
morials of  the  Evangelists  is  perennial.  Says  Romanes: 
"True  or  not,  the  entire  story  of  the  cross,  from  its  com- 
mencement in  prophetic  aspiration  to  its  culmination  in 
the  Gospel,  is  by  far  the  most  magnificent  presentation 
in  literature.  And  surely  the  fact  of  its  having  been  lived 
does  not  detract  from  its  poetic  value."  The  person  of 
Christ  stands  central  to  all  this.  If  He  be  preached  ef- 
fectively His  gospel  will  not  lose  its  hold  upon  the  world. 
Let  it  never  be  forgotten  that,  as  of  old,  so  now,  the  peo- 
ple are  "all  waiting  for  Him." 


THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  281 

The  human  heart  is  ever  the  same  despite  the  chang- 
ing environment  of  life.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  this 
when  the  lives  of  the  lordly  and  the  opulent  have  been 
overlaid  with  luxury  and  ornament.  But,  let  suffering 
lay  bare  the  elemental  passions  of  men,  and  we  see  clearly 
that  we  are  all  alike,  whatever  our  outward  estate. 

The  old  Czar  of  Russia,  father  of  the  reigning  sover- 
eign, most  colossal  of  monarchs,  forgot  his  grandeur  at 
the  bedside  of  his  dying  wife,  and  broke  forth  into  un- 
controllable lamentations  when  he  discovered  that  she 
could  no  longer  respond  to  his  affectionate  salutations. 
Gambetta,  in  the  hour  of  one  of  his  oratorical  triumphs, 
fell  into  passionate  weeping,  unstrung  and  unmanned  by 
the  death  of  his  aged  mother,  the  news  of  which  had  just 
been  brought  to  him.  But  the  other  day  a  great  savant 
fell  dead  in  his  lecture  hall  when  told  that  his  wife  had 
passed  into  the  eternal  world.  We  are  all  the  same  kind 
of  people.  Strip  off  the  plumage  of  the  powerful  and 
the  pompous,  and  see  how  common  are  the  needs  of  the 
world.  The  prince  and  the  pauper  are  alike  in  this.  The 
Gospel  finds  converts  in  the  Roman  emperor's  household 
as  well  as  among  the  fishermen  of  Galilee.  The  message 
of  Christ  is  to  the  heart  of  man,  and  it  can  not  become 
obsolete  until  the  human  heart  loses  its  native  qualities. 

How  unique  is  that  sense  of  fellowship  with  Jesus 
Christ  which  is  experienced  by  every  soul  to  whom  He 
is  made  known.  There  is  nothing  like  it  respecting  any 
other  character  in  history.  When  our  dearest  friends 
pass  away  we  seem  to  retain  them  for  a  little  while  in  our 
consciousness.  The  rooms  they  occupied,  the  books  they 
read,  the  tools  they  used,  the  garments  they  wore,  every- 
thing they  handled  or  touched  or  employed  suggests  their 
spiritual  presence.  But  after  awhile  the  sensation  of 
continuous  fellowship  fades.  The  afterglow  of  the  sun- 
set deepens  into  twilight  and  then  into  darkness.  Then 
memory  idealizes  them.  They  become  half  divine  under 
the  spell  which  death  has  woven  over  their  persons.  But 
the  sense  of  personal  communion  is  gone.  Thomas  Car- 
lyle  says  of  his  mother,  "O  pious  mother!  kind,  good, 
brave,  and  truthful  soul  as  ever  I  have  found,  and  more 


282      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

than  I  have  elsewhere  ever  found  in  this  world,  your 
poor  Tom,  long  out  of  his  schooldays  now,  has  fallen 
very  lonely,  very  lame  and  broken,  in  this  pilgrimage 
of  his;  and  you  can  not  help  him  or  cheer  him  by  a  kind 
word  any  more.  From  your  grave  in  Ecclefechan  Kirk- 
yard  yonder  you  bid  him  trust  in  God,  and  that  also  he 
will  try  if  he  can  understand  and  do."  This  is  the  feel- 
ing we  have  about  all  great  and  good  characters  except 
Christ.  They  can  not  help  us  now  that  the  veil  has 
dropped  between  us  and  them.  But  He  who  is  alive  for 
evermore,  having  parted  the  curtains  which  death  hung 
before  our  vision,  is  yet  with  us,  and  His  words  are  spirit 
and  they  are  life;  they  nourish  us  unto  eternal  strength. 
It  is  He  whom  we  must  offer  to  the  world,  for  it  is  He 
whom  the  world  can  receive  into  communion. 

It  is  a  principle  in  art  that  in  the  composition  of  a 
picture  all  the  parts  shall  be  so  arranged  as  to  lead  the 
eye  inevitably  to  the  characteristic  feature.  Whatever 
prevents  this  is  a  capital  defect.  Accessories  are  only 
important  as  they  help  this  end.  When  Varelst,  the 
Dutch  painter,  made  his  tulips  so  glorious  that  they  drew 
attention  away  from  the  face  of  James  II,  in  whose  por- 
trait he  had  placed  them,  he  violated  this  canon.  So  did 
Haydon  when,  in  his  picture  of  Christ's  Triumphal  Entry, 
he  made  the  ass  on  which  the  Master  rode  more  attractive 
than  the  figure  of  Jesus.  So  did  the  Italian  artist  who, 
in  His  Last  Supper,  made  the  chalice  on  the  table  finer 
than  the  face  of  the  Lord  who  hallowed  it.  So  does  the 
theologian  who  fascinates  by  his  metaphysics,  or  the 
preacher  who  charms  by  his  rhetoric,  while  Christ  is  but 
dimly  outlined. 

Worship  itself  may  hinder  the  true  apprehension  of 
Christ.  A  liturgy  is  a  fine  thing  if  it  leads  to  Christ,  and 
a  bad  thing  if  it  draws  the  mind  away  from  Him.  Sym- 
bolism is  excellent  if  it  distinguishes  Christ,  and  execrable 
if  it  extinguishes  Him.  It  is  absurd  to  be  agitated  over 
the  correct  color  for  an  altar  cloth,  if  that  ornament  con- 
ceals Christ.    A  bare  table  would  be  vastly  better  if  He 


THE  TRIUMPHAL  ENTRY.  283 

could  thus  be  more  clearly  seen.  There  is  no  serious 
objection  to  the  burning  of  incense  if  the  fragrant  cloud 
does  not  obscure  Christ.  You  can  tinkle  bells,  and 
sprinkle  consecrated  water,  and  adorn  yourself  with  ec- 
clesiastical millinery,  and  exercise  yourself  with  mysteri- 
ous genuflections,  so  long  as  you  do  not  forget  Christ. 
He  must  always  occupy  the  center  of  your  stage.  He 
must  always  sit  at  the  head  of  your  table.  He  must 
always  be  the  presiding  genius  of  your  ceremonies.  He 
it  is  for  whom  the  world  waits. 

In  the  Church  of  Notre  Dame  in  Paris  they  show  you 
the  coronation  robes  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  You  are 
held  oflf  at  a  reverential  distance  to  admire  the  gold  and 
ermine.  But  you  are  all  the  while  thinking  of  the  man 
who  wore  those  garments,  and  made  them  great.  You 
would  give  far  more  than  the  paltry  gratuity  you  hand 
the  custodian  of  those  clothes  if  he  would  introduce  you 
to  the  masterful  mind  that  rendered  those  tawdry  rags 
glorious,  and  the  will  that  dared  to  crown  his  own  head 
with  the  authority  of  an  empire.  So  it  is  the  Christ,  and 
not  the  swaddling  clothes  of  ceremonialism,  that  the 
world  longs  to  behold.  Our  ministry  is  weak  in  propor- 
tion as  it  obscures  Christ.  It  is  effective  in  the  measure 
with  which  it  brings  Him  into  open  view.  "The  world 
is  gone  after  Him." 


XXV. 
THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS. 

CHAPTER  XII.  20-36. 

When  we  consider  how  obscure  was  the  corner  in 
which  St.  John  was  born  and  how  humble  the  calling  to 
which  he  was  bred,  we  can  not  but  wonder  that  it  should 
have  been  given  to  him  to  write  books  which  have  already 
lasted  for  nearly  two  thousand  years,  and  yet  appear  to 
have  only  commenced  their  career  of  usefulness. 

— Stalker, 

The  scene  is  probably  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  in 
the  Temple  at  Jerusalem.  The  time  is  uncertain,  being 
either  Wednesday  evening  or  Thursday  morning.  This 
is  the  only  incident  which  John  records  between  the 
Triumphal  Entry  and  the  events  which  occurred  on  the 
evening  of  the  Last  Supper.  This  episode  is  not  men- 
tioned in  the  Synoptics.  The  days  between  Sunday  and 
Thursday  were  crowded  with  events,  according  to  the 
other  evangelists,  but  this  one  which  the  others  omit 
is  inserted  by  John  because  it  fits  into  his  purpose.  It 
not  only  marks  the  closing  of  Christ's  public  ministry, 
but  it  exhibits  a  foreshadowing  of  His  passion. 

I.  THE  PETITION  (20-22). 

The  petitioners  are  Greek  proselytes — not  Jews  who 
speak  Greek,  but  men  of  Greek  birth,  who  have  embraced 
the  Hebrew  religion.  They  have  come  to  worship  at  the 
Feast  of  the  Passover.  Perhaps  they  have  witnessed  the 
Triumphal  Entry,  or  the  expulsion  of  the  traders  from 
the  Temple,  and  are  anxious  to  have  a  closer  knowledge 
of  the  wonderful  person  involved  in  these  deeds.  It  has 
been  suggested  that  the  tradition  of  the   embassy   of 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS.  285 

Abgarus  of  Edessa,  who  is  said  to  have  invited  Jesus 
to  return  to  his  country,  may  have  been  founded  on  this 
occurrence.  It  is  not  impossible  that  the  Greeks  in  this 
story  actually  intended  to  ask  Jesus  to  visit  their  region. 
In  any  case  they  desired  an  interview  with  Him;  they 
wished  to  lay  their  thoughts  before  Him,  There  may 
have  been  a  deep  spiritual  purpose  in  their  solicitude. 
"Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus,"  they  say  to  Philip,  giving  to 
the  disciple  the  deference  which  the  Master  merits.  They 
probably  appeal  to  Philip  because  his  name  is  Greek, 
as  is  also  that  of  Andrew,  to  whom  he  carries  their  mes- 
sage. As  these  two  came  from  Bethsaida,  if  the  Greeks 
were  of  that  region,  say  Decapolis,  local  reasons  may 
have  induced  them  to  apply  to  Philip,  who,  not  wishing 
to  assume  the  entire  responsibility,  gives  Andrew  an  op- 
portunity to  exhibit  anew  his  characteristic  function  of 
introducing  them  to  Jesus.    Compare  i,  41 ;  vi,  8,  9. 

II.  THE  RESPONSE  (23-33). 

What  Jesus  is  reported  by  John  as  saying  on  this 
occasion  is  not  specifically  directed  to  the  Greeks,  though 
it  is  unlike  Jesus  to  ignore  honest  inquiry.  Their  pe- 
tition made  a  deep  impression  on  the  mind  of  Christ, 
and  He  gave  utterance  to  solemn  thoughts  which  may 
have  been  heard  by  these  Greeks  as  well  as  by  the  dis- 
ciples and  others  who  were  near  Him. 

I.  The  Address  (23-26).    The  coming  of  the  Greeks  at 

the  close  of  Christ's  public  ministry,  like  the  coming 
of  the  Magi  at  the  time  of  His  birth,  brings  the  Gen- 
tile world  into  our  Lord's  view.  The  consciousness 
of  His  relation  to  this  world  has  been  more  or  less 
obscure  until  now.  "The  hour  is  come" — the  fatal 
hour — "that  the  Son  of  man  should  be  glorified." 
It  has  come  not  only  to  Him,  but  to  the  world  at 
large,  and  to  the  Jews  in  particular.  He  sees  Him- 
self in  the  future  exerting  His  sovereignty  over  a 
wide  spiritual  domain.  But  to  enter  into  this  realm 
He  must  pass  out  of  His  present  sphere.  Death  is 
the  means  by  which  this  will  be  accomplished.    The 


286     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

cross  throws  its  shadow  upon  His  pathway.  But 
this  is  in  accordance  with  the  great  principle,  that 
the  nobler  life  can  only  be  attained  by  the  loss  of 
that  which  precedes  it.  This  He  illustrates  by  the 
corn  of  wheat  which  must  fall  into  the  ground  and 
perish  before  it  can  produce  fruitage  (24).  This 
principle  He  applies  to  Himself,  and  then  makes  it 
the  governing  test  of  discipleship  (25,  26). 

2.  The  Soliloquy  (27,  28).    The  hearers  are  for  the  mo- 

ment apparently  forgotten  as  Christ  falls  into  pro- 
found reflection  upon  the  crisis  which  now  confronts 
Him.  His  prayer  suggests  the  agony  of  Gethsemane 
(Matt,  xxvi,  39),  There  is  the  conflict  of  nature 
in  the  prospect  of  death  with  the  great  motive  which 
has  actuated  His  whole  life.  Shall  He  pray  to  be 
delivered  from  this  awful  trial?  Nay,  for  this  pur- 
pose He  came  to  this  hour.  He  will  pray,  "Father, 
glorify  Thy  name."  Thus,  while  John  omits  the 
agony  in  the  garden,  which  the  Synoptists  relate, 
He  gives  us  to  see  by  this  agitation  in  the  soul  of 
Jesus  that  the  agony  was  a  part  of  His  whole  life. 

3.  The  Heavenly  Voice    (28,   29).     The  soliloquy  of 

Jesus  is  interrupted  by  a  response  from  heaven.  At 
the  close  of  Christ's  public  ministry  the  Father  seals 
His  mission  by  this  audible  authentication,  as  had 
been  done  at  His  baptism  and  at  the  transfiguration. 
Those  who  hear  it  report  it  according  to  the  degree 
of  their  spiritual  intelligence.  To  some  it  is  an  in- 
articulate sound  like  that  of  thunder,  to  others  the 
undistinguishable  message  of  an  angel. 

4.  The  Address  Resumed  (30-33).    Jesus  affirms  that 

He  did  not  need  this  voice  for  His  encouragement, 
since  He  has  resources  of  strength  and  comfort 
within  Himself;  it  was  given  for  them.  The  hour 
of  judgment  had  come  for  the  world.  The  prince 
of  the  world  would  now  suffer  defeat.  The  ap- 
proaching cross  would  not  only  be  a  judgment  of 
the  world's  iniquity,  but  also  a  sign  of  Satan's  de- 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS.  287 

feat.  He  would  no  longer  attract  men  by  His  words 
and  works  merely ;  He  would  draw  them  to  Him 
from  every  quarter  of  the  world  by  His  sacrifice  on 
Calvary.  His  death  would  accomplish  what  His 
life  could  never  attain. 

III.  THE  WARNING  (34-36). 

The  people  who  have  heard  these  impressive  words 
now  ask  a  question.  Jesus  has  applied  the  title  Son  of 
m.an  to  Himself  in  such  relations  that  they  can  not  doubt 
He  means  thereby  to  designate  the  Messiah.  How  does 
He  reconcile  this  with  the  teaching  of  the  law,  by  which 
they  mean  the  Old  Testament  generally,  which  affiirms 
that  the  Christ  shall  abide  forever?  Who  is  this  Son 
of  man  ?  They  do  not  see  that  their  interpretation  of  the 
Scriptures  may  be  at  fault.  A  suffering  and  perishing 
Messiah  is  not  desired  by  them. 

Jesus  makes  no  direct  reply  to  their  ignorant  or  con- 
temptuous question,  but  warns  them  that  this  is  the  de- 
cisive hour  for  them.  While  they  have  the  light,  let  them 
walk  in  it.  The  darkness  will  come  when  the  Christ  is 
withdrawn.  This  prophetic  word  has  been  fulfilled.  In 
the  apostolic  period  a  few  of  their  number  accepted  the 
gospel,  but  the  nation  declined  from  the  truth,  and  the 
light  was  removed  to  the  Gentiles.  "While  ye  have  the 
light,  believe  in  the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the  children 
of  light" — this  is  Christ's  last  warning  to  His  generation. 


Hymn  No.  143. 

In  the  cross  of  Christ  I  glory. 

Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time ; 

All  the  light  of  sacred  story 
Gathers  round  its  head  sublime. 

John  Boivring. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I  feel  the  magnetism  of  the  Cross? 

2.  Does  the  light  of  its  sacred  story  illumine  my  soul? 


288      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  Center  of  Gravity. 

"And  I,  if  I  he  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  Me." — John  xii,  32. 

When  the  coronation  ceremonies  of  Rudolph  of  Haps- 
burgh  were  in  progress  it  was  discovered  that  in  the 
hurry  no  scepter  had  been  provided.  Thereupon  the 
king  seized  a  crucifix  and  exclaimed,  "This  shall  be  my 
scepter !"  From  the  days  of  the  Apostle  Paul  until  now 
it  has  been  the  policy  of  successful  preachers  of  the  gos- 
pel to  make  the  Cross  the  scepter  of  their  authority,  and 
they  have  found  that,  like  the  rod  which  Moses  carried, 
it  has  always  been  their  most  effective  instrument  when 
marvels  were  to  be  wrought.  "We  preach  Christ  cruci- 
fied," is  the  watchword  of  the  triumphant  evangelist  in 
every  generation.  At  the  opening  of  one  of  his  cam- 
paigns in  England,  Dwight  L.  Moody  invited  the  London 
clergy  to  meet  him  in  Freemason's  Hall.  Various  ques- 
tions were  propounded,  and  among  others  he  was  asked, 
"Would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to  print  your  views  of  the 
Gospel,  that  we  might  know  them?"  He  replied,  "They 
are  already  in  print ;  you  will  find  them  in  the  fifty-third 
of  Isaiah."  The  doctrine  of  sacrifice  foreshadowed  in 
this  message  of  the  Prophet-Evangelist,  and  embodied 
in  the  atoning  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  must  ever  be  the 
central  theme  of  Christian  preaching,  both  because  it 
lies  at  the  very  heart  of  the  gospel,  and  also  because  it 
is  the  most  persuasive  theme  which  can  be  employed 
to  influence  the  souls  of  men  toward  the  Savior  of  man- 
kind. 

A  theory  of  the  atonement  entirely  satisfactory  to 
every  mind  is  probably  impossible  of  construction,  but 
the  power  of  Christ's  sacrifice  to  win  men  to  His  stand- 
ard will  be  understood  by  the  humblest  intelligences. 
In  the  establishment  of  His  spiritual  sovereignty  over 
humanity,  it  was  necessary  that  He  should  possess  ex- 
traordinary elements  of  attractiveness.     This  has  always 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS.  289 

been  an  indispensable  requisite  for  successful  leadership 
in  any  field,  and  has  been  strikingly  exemplified  in  the 
lives  of  military  captains. 

It  was  remarked  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  as  also 
of  other  great  soldiers,  that  his  presence  on  a  field  of 
battle  was  equivalent  to  the  addition  of  many  regiments. 
The  general  who  had  never  lost  a  contest  was  certain 
to  be  an  inspiring  figure  whenever  he  appeared  among 
his  troops.  What  a  tribute  to  the  personal  charm  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  is  found  in  the  fact  that  when  he 
escaped  from  Elba,  whither  he  had  been  exiled  after  his 
first  abdication,  he  had  no  sooner  landed  at  Cannes  with 
a  mere  handful  of  men,  and  was  known  to  be  proceeding 
toward  Paris,  than  he  was  joined  by  great  companies 
of  his  old  soldiers,  who  quickly  forgot  their  allegiance 
to  the  king  in  their  idolatrous  affection  for  their  former 
master.  Whole  battalions  passed  over  to  his  side  the 
moment  they  caught  sight  of  his  familiar  face  and  figure, 
and  enabled  him  in  a  few  days  to  enter  the  capital  and 
assume  control  of  the  army  once  more.  Doubtless  the 
attractiveness  of  such  a  personality  is  due  to  the  appeal 
which  he  makes  to  the  love  of  valor  and  the  passion  for 
conquest  which  dwell  in  the  bosoms  of  men.  While 
Jesus  was  not  to  be  the  captain  of  a  carnal  force,  He 
was  to  lead  men  to  the  noblest  triumphs  of  all  time,  and 
to  qualify  Him  for  this  high  calling  it  was  of  the  largest 
importance  that  He  be  able  to  command  the  attention 
and  compel  the  admiration  of  those  who  love  heroism. 
A  philosopher  or  a  teacher  could  not  have  gained  such 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  men  by  pursuing  the  peaceful 
habits  common  to  a  quiet  vocation.  His  influence  would 
have  been  confined  to  the  scholarly  and  the  thoughtful. 
The  throng  would  have  passed  Him  by  as  unsuited  to 
their  needs.  But  the  sacrificial  element  in  the  life  of 
Jesus  arrests  the  interest  of  all  men. 


Suffering  provides  the  opportunity  for  such  an  exhi- 
bition of  heroism  as  invariably  evokes  the  admiration  of 
the  world,  despite  the  selfishness  which  so  widely  per- 
19 


290     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

vades  the  race.  It  has  been  remarked  that  the  history 
of  nations  is  only  most  attractive  when  it  depicts  trial 
and  struggle.  Prosperity  affords  no  medium  for  stir- 
ring recital.  The  disasters  which  overthrew  Babylon, 
Nineveh,  Greece,  and  Rome  invest  their  stories  with  a 
solemn  grandeur  which  captivates  the  imagination  of  all 
readers.  The  brave  resistance  which  the  Netherlands 
offered  to  the  pitiless  cruelty  of  Philip  II  of  Spain  makes 
the  narrative  of  her  people's  development  vastly  more 
interesting  than  the  records  of  a  mercantile  nation  at- 
taining unparalleled  wealth  through  undisturbed  avenues 
of  trade. 

In  the  same  way  the  biographies  of  individuals  are 
effective  with  the  average  mind  in  proportion  to  the 
tragic  features  which  they  contain.  Thousands  of  per- 
sons who  could  not  repeat  a  single  moral  precept  or 
philosophical  observation  of  Socrates  are  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  circumstances  of  his  death,  and  have 
wept  tears  of  pity  as  in  imagination  they  have  witnessed 
him  drinking  the  cup  of  poison  in  his  prison,  and  bidding 
a  long  farewell  to  his  companions.  It  is  altogether  prob- 
able that  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  Parables  of 
the  New  Testament  would  possess  a  much  smaller  in- 
terest for  the  majority  of  mankind  if  they  had  not  been 
spoken  by  one  who  gave  His  life  in  support  of  His  teach- 
ing. We  may  reverently  suppose  that  Jesus  welcomed 
His  cross  with  joy  as  He  foresaw  the  impression  which 
the  spectacle  of  His  sublime  sacrifice  would  make  upon 
even  degraded  and  profligate  men.  It  was  the  master- 
stroke of  Divine  wisdom.  If  that  could  fail  to  break 
the  stony  hearts  of  impenitent  men,  nothing  which  the 
human  mind  can  conceive  would  be  capable  of  doing  it. 
In  the  light  of  this  fact  we  may  understand  the  words  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews :  "It  became  Him,  for  whom 
are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing 
many  sons  unto  glory,  to  make  the  Captain  of  their  sal- 
vation perfect  through  sufferings."  Perfect  in  character 
He  was  by  the  very  fact  of  His  divine-human  nature. 
Perfect  in  His  ability  to  draw  all  men  unto  Him  He 
could  not  be  without  His  sacrifice  for  the  weal  of  hu- 
manity. 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS.  291 

But  the  mere  fact  of  suffering  is  not  enough  to  make 
a  man  attractive  to  his  fellows.  The  criminal  wearing 
out  his  days  in  durance  vile  or  expiating  his  crimes  on 
the  gallows  commands  our  pity,  but  not  our  respect. 
The  merchant  failing  through  bad  ventures  or  misman- 
agement awakens  our  sympathy,  but  not  our  admiration. 
Even  voluntary  sacrifice  may  be  made  for  unworthy  ends, 
Empedocles  leaping  into  the  mouth  of  burning  ^tna 
to  secure  enduring  fame  is  not  an  imposing  figure.  But 
when  a  man  for  a  high  purpose,  like  the  salvation  of 
human  life,  or  the  defense  of  a  great  nation,  deliberately 
consigns  himself  to  hardship  and  death,  his  suffering 
rises  to  the  height  of  sublimity  and  makes  him  a  magnet 
of  irresistible  attraction.  It  is  such  a  motive  which  im- 
parts a  certain  grandeur  of  character  to  even  unholy  men 
who  risk  their  lives  for  the  safety  of  others.  A  New 
York  policeman  was  taking  a  burly  ruffian  down  Broad- 
way to  prison.  The  man's  hands  were  manacled,  and 
he  was  proceeding  quietly,  when  suddenly  he  broke  away 
from  the  officer,  and  before  anything  could  be  done  had 
rescued  a  child  from  death  under  the  wheels  of  a  car 
which  was  rushing  madly  down  the  street.  Then  he 
came  back  to  the  policeman,  and  walked  submissively  on 
to  his  place  of  confinement.  The  latent  goodness  of  the 
criminal  had  a  momentary  outbreak,  and  made  him  a 
hero  for  the  instant. 

The  only  black  man  who  wears  the  Victoria  Cross, 
which  is  given  for  valor  without  regard  to  rank,  and  is 
never  denied  the  humblest  soldier  who  has  performed  a 
deed  worthy  of  it,  is  a  hero  named  Gordon,  a  negro  in 
the  West  Indies.  He  was  sent  to  West  Africa  for  one 
of  the  petty  wars  of  Great  Britain  with  the  barbarous 
chiefs  of  that  region.  As  the  British  forces  were  march- 
ing through  the  bush  one  day  Gordon  saw  the  barrel  of 
a  gun  peeping  out  and  covering  the  body  of  his  com- 
manding officer.  He  did  the  only  thing  by  which  the 
officer  could  be  saved — threw  his  arms  around  him,  and 
swung  him  about  so  as  to  interpose  his  own  body  be- 
tween the  officer  and  the  gun.  In  a  second  the  bullet 
sped  through  Gordon's  body,  piercing  his  lungs  and 
stretching  him  on  the  earth   for  dead.     But  the  hero 


292     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

recovered,  and  now  wears  the  distinction  which  titled 
nobihty  might  well  covet.  Character  is  thus  glorified  by 
sufferings  endured  or  perils  undergone  for  the  sake  of 
others,  Christ  dies  on  a  cross,  that  He  may  lift  His 
enemies  as  well  as  His  friends  out  of  perdition  into  para- 
dise, out  of  sin  into  holiness,  and  forthwith  He  becomes 
the  most  dominant  personaHty  in  the  range  of  history. 
The  artists  find  His  career  the  most  powerful  subject 
upon  which  to  exercise  their  genius,  the  writers  are  for- 
ever telling  His  story  in  one  fashion  or  another,  the 
musicians  have  discovered  no  other  theme  to  compare 
with  Him  for  inspiration  and  effectiveness.  The  blas- 
phemy of  His  name  is  esteemed  the  most  hideous  pro- 
fanity that  can  befoul  the  lips  of  man.  The  Pharisees 
were  scarcely  extravagant  when  they  said  despondently, 
"Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after  Him !" 

When  it  becomes  evident  to  men  that  it  is  God  who 
is  thus  suffering  in  their  behalf,  the  power  of  Christ  to 
attract  them  is  intensified  to  the  highest  degree.  Caesar 
stabbed  in  the  Capitol  will  awaken  profounder  interest 
than  the  woes  of  a  hundred  regiments  of  common  sol- 
diers. A  great  ruler  dying  in  his  palace  occupies  more 
space  in  the  newspapers  and  more  room  in  public  thought 
than  the  overthrow  of  a  city.  Think  of  God  enduring 
the  buffetings  of  the  mob  and  the  shameful  death  of  the 
cross !  Once  let  that  conception  take  hold  upon  the  mind 
and  heart,  and  its  grasp  will  be  unrelaxing.  We  know 
that  Jesus  was  more  than  a  national  hero,  killed  because 
of  His  devotion  to  principles  to  which  He  had  committed 
Himself.  We  are  not  moved  by  any  other  story  of  mar- 
tyrdom as  we  are  stirred  by  the  narrative  of  His  sacri- 
fice. For  He  gives  Himself  to  the  divine  task  of  saving 
men  from  sin,  that  deadly  malady  which  infects  the  whole 
race.  The  tragedy  of  Calvary  is  to  avert  the  tragedy  of 
a  lost  world.  If  a  man  throws  himself  into  the  river, 
and  imperils  his  life,  saying  as  he  takes  the  plunge,  "I 
do  this  to  express  my  love  for  you !"  he  impresses  me 
only  with  his  rashness  and  ineffectiveness.  But  if  when 
I  am  being  swept  to  death  by  the  submerging  current,  I 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  GREEKS  293 

see  him  leaping  to  my  rescue,  and  hear  him  shouting, 
"Be  of  good  courage,  I  will  save  you!"  I  need  no  evi- 
dence of  his  afifection  other  than  this,  and  I  hail  him  as 
the  preserver  of  my  life.  It  is  this  which  gives  Jesus 
Christ  His  power  over  humanity.  We  know  that  sin  is 
destroying  us,  we  know  that  we  can  not  throw  off  its 
curse  without  Divine  help.  We  know  that  Christ  is 
God  manifest  in  the  flesh  to  save  us,  and  we  surrender 
to  His  love  with  glad  hearts. 

Yet  the  drawing  of  the  cross  is  not  irresistible.  The 
human  will  can  withstand  its  magnetism.  Man  has  the 
sovereign  right  of  choice.  It  is  a  frightful  responsibility, 
but  he  can  so  insulate  himself  by  worldliness  that  he  will 
not  be  sensible  of  the  attraction  of  Christ.  He  can  re- 
move himself  so  far  away  from  the  love  of  Christ  by 
willful  dedication  to  sin  and  shame,  that  he  will  no  longer 
gravitate  toward  God.  As  there  lies  a  point  between 
this  earth  and  each  of  the  other  planets,  beyond  which 
the  pull  of  gravity  is  away  from  the  earth  and  not  toward 
it,  so  there  is  a  point  far  on  toward  perdition,  where  the 
love  of  Christ  no  longer  constrains  men  to  seek  His  fel- 
lowship, but  where  men  call  evil  their  good,  and  see  no 
charm  in  the  godly  life.  But  they  who  desire  salvation, 
when  they  behold  Christ's  passion  for  the  deliverance  of 
humanity,  cry  out  with  fervent  lips, 

"Nay,  but  I  yield,  I  yield ; 
I  can  hold  out  no  more: 
I  sink  by  dying  love  compelled, 
And  own  Thee  conqueror. 


XXVI. 
THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT. 

CHAPTER  XII.  36-50. 

The  relation  that  John  bears  to  Christ  resembles  that  of 
Plato  to  Socrates ;  he  is  emphatically  the  philosophical 
evangelist.  —Ha.rma.n. 

End  of  the  Public  Ministry  (36). 

Having  concluded  the  address  given  in  the  preced- 
ing passage,  Jesus  withdraws  from  pubHc  view,  and  does 
not  reappear,  though  the  people  await  Him  in  the  temple 
on  the  following  day  (Luke  xxi,  38).  John  does  not 
specify  the  location  of  His  retreat,  though  it  was  prob- 
ably Bethany.  Ample  opportunity  had  been  afforded  the 
people  for  belief,  both  by  the  works  of  Jesus,  which  they 
had  witnessed,  and  also  by  His  words,  to  which  they  had 
listened.  Though  He  now  hides  Himself  it  is  not  of 
His  own  choice,  but  through  the  compulsion  of  His  ad- 
versaries. It  is  their  lack  of  faith  which  really  obscures 
Him  both  physically  and  spiritually.  They  have  turned 
from  the  Light,  and  the  Light  has  vanished.  They  have 
lapsed  into  total  moral  darkness.  Now,  at  the  end  of 
Christ's  public  ministry,  judgment  is  recorded  against 
these  unbelievers,  first,  in  the  words  of  the  author  of  this 
gospel,  and  then  in  the  words  of  Christ  Himself. 

I.  THE  JUDGMENT  OF  JOHN  (27-43). 

I.  Persistent  Unbelief  (37).  Despite  the  many  mir- 
acles Jesus  has  performed,  the  Jews  reject  His 
claims.  Only  seven  of  these  "signs"  are  given  in 
John's  narrative,  but  these  are  typical  of  the  rest, 
which  He  declares  in  several  places,  and  particularly 
294 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  295 

at  the  close  of  his  book  (xx,  30;  xxi,  25),  have  been 
very  numerous.  The  Jews  have  been  compelled  to 
acknowledge  that  these  are  true  miracles,  for  they 
have  been  wrought  "before  them" — in  their  very 
presence.  Nevertheless,  though  without  any  excuse 
to  justify  their  unbelief,  they  have  refused  to  com- 
mit themselves  to  Christ. 

2.  The  Cause  of  Unbelief  (38-41).  The  fulfillment  of 
prophecy  is  manifest  in  their  unbelief.  Compare  Isa. 
liii,  I.  History  repeats  itself  in  their  present  rejec- 
tion of  Christ.  As  their  ancestors  repudiated  the 
message  of  the  prophet-evangelist,  so  they  have 
scouted  the  revelation  of  the  Messiah  Himself.  By 
their  persistent  unbelief  they  had  rendered  them- 
selves incapable  of  belief.  This  is  described  as  if  it 
were  the  result  of  divine  pre-determination  (39,  40). 
As  God  is  the  ordainer  of  the  laws  under  which  the 
forces  of  life  operate,  He  is  in  this  sense  responsible 
for  the  evil  as  well  as  the  good  in  human  conduct. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  moral  insensibility  of  these 
Jews  was  due  to  their  own  willful  unbelief  steadily 
maintained  in  the  face  of  the  most  convincing  proofs 
of  Christ's  divinity.  It  was  the  result  of  that  in- 
exorable law  by  which  the  continued  refusal  to 
obey  the  dictates  of  conscience  finally  renders  the 
conscience  impervious  to  moral  appeals.  God's  an- 
nouncement that  an  event  will  occur  does  not  pro- 
duce the  event.  He  proclaims  it  because  it  will 
occur.  Things  which  are  in  the  future,  as  reckoned 
by  human  calculations,  are  viewed  by  Him  as  al- 
ready existing.  The  Jews,  therefore,  were  not 
doomed  to  blindness  by  an  arbitrary  act  of  the 
divine  will,  irrespective  of  their  characters  and  right 
of  choice;  they  were  doomed  solely  on  the  basis  of 
God's  knowledge  that  they  would  make  the  fatal 
choice.  Nevertheless,  as  the  processes  of  nature  are 
according  to  laws  which  God  has  fixed,  it  is  legiti- 
mate to  say,  "He  hath  blinded,"  etc.  (40;  com- 
pare Isa.  vi,  9).    This  explains  also  the  meaning  of 


296      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

the  statement  often  repeated  in  the  book  of  Ex- 
odus, that  God  hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh,  and 
the  declaration  of  Paul  regarding  the  heathen,  "God 
gave  them  over  to  a  reprobate  mind"  (Rom.  i,  28). 
Isaiah  uttered  his  judgment  against  the  Jews  when 
he  beheld  the  glory  of  the  Son  before  His  incarna- 
tion (Isa.  vi,  i).  The  revelation  of  the  Son  in  the 
flesh  brought  the  unbelief  of  the  nation  to  its  pre- 
dicted consummation. 

3.  Exceptions  to  the  General  Unbelief  (42,  43).  Ap- 
parently there  were  some  who  believed  even  among 
the  rulers  of  the  Jews.  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and 
Nicodemus  are  probable  examples.  Doubtless  there 
were  others  who  did  not  show  confidence  in  Jesus 
to  such  an  extent  as  these  men.  Yet  they  yielded  a 
certain  intellectual  assent  to  His  claims.  They  did 
not,  however,  openly  confess  their  faith  in  Him,  and 
hence  their  belief  was  fatally  defective.  They  feared 
excommunication.  They  were  not  brave  enough  to 
risk  the  contempt  of  men  for  the  favor  of  God. 
Hence  they  were  in  no  better  condition  than  those 
who  stoutly  avowed  their  unbelief.  (Compare  v. 
41-44.) 

II.  THE  JUDGMENT  OF  JESUS  (44-50). 

While  this  passage  is  phrased  in  the  direct  manner 
characteristic  of  John,  it  is  hardly  probable  that  Jesus 
uttered  the  words  which  follow  as  a  separate  discourse 
on  this  particular  occasion,  for  in  verse  36  it  is  plainly 
indicated  that  Jesus  had  ended  His  public  ministry.  This 
is  rather  a  convenient  epitome  of  teachings  formerly 
delivered.  In  fact,  all  the  thoughts  expressed  herein 
may  be  found  in  utterances  previously  delivered  by  our 
Lord  as  recorded  in  this  gospel. 

I.  The  Believer  (44-46).  Belief  in  the  Son  is  really 
belief  in  the  Father.  This  belief  is  the  ground  of 
eternal  life.  Christ's  significance  as  a  person  lies 
in  the  fact  that  He  is  sent  by  the  Father,  that  He 


Hymn  No.  248. 

Hasten,  sinner,  to  be  wise! 

Stay  not  for  to-morrow's  sun; 
Wisdom,  if  thou  still  despise, 

Harder  is  it  to  be  won. 

— Thomas  Scott. 


Personal  Questions: 

1.  Do  I   realize  the  danger  of  cultivating  the  "evil 
heart  of  unbelief?" 

2.  Have  I  dared  openly  to  confess  my  belief  in  Christ? 

3.  Have    I   placed    wordly   popularity   above   divine 
favor  ? 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  297 

is  the  manifestation  of  the  Father.  In  beholding 
Him,  they  behold  the  Father.  In  receiving  Him 
they  receive  the  Father.  In  His  light  they  rejoice 
in  the  Divine  light.  The  judgment  on  the  world  is 
that  it  lieth  in  darkness.  The  judgment  on  believers 
is  that  they  walk  in  the  light. 

The  Unbeliever  (47-49).  Judgment  need  not  be 
formally  pronounced  by  Jesus  on  the  unbeliever.  He 
who  rejects  Christ's  message  rejects  the  Father.  He  *^ 
is,  therefore,  self-judged.  Jesus  did  not  come  into  * 
the  world  to  pronounce  judgment,  but  to  bring  sal- 
vation. Nevertheless,  His  coming  results  in  judg- 
ment. The  message  and  mission  of  Jesus  which 
unbelievers  repudiate  will  stand  against  them  in  the 
last  day.  It  is  God's  word  and  work  they  scorn. 
They  have  turned  away  from  Him. 

The  Ultimatum  (50).  Whether  men  accept  or  re- 
ject God's  commandment,  it  alone  brings  eternal 
life.  The  mission  of  Christ  is  the  expression  of 
that  commandment.  Christ  asserts  this :  "Even  as 
the  Father  said  unto  Me,  so  I  speak."  A  final  state- 
ment of  what  He  has  constantly  declared. 


298     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

The  Cause  of  Unbelief. 

"They  loved  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise 
of  God." — ^JoHN  xii,  43. 

When  Cassius  was  seeking  to  incite  Brutus  against 
Julius  Csesar,  he  is  represented  by  Shakespeare  as  under- 
taking to  show  him  that  homage  to  the  master  of  Rome 
was  nothing  short  of  ignoble  self-abasement. 

"I  can  not  tell  what  you  and  other  men 
Think  of  this  life ;  but  for  my  single  self 
I  had  as  lief  not  be,  as  live  to  be 
In  awe  of  such  a  thing  as  I  myself." 

This  sentiment,  apart  from  the  spirit  which  animated 
the  man  who  uttered  it,  is  worthy  of  all  acceptation, 
but  it  was  not  shared  by  certain  prominent  persons  in 
Christ's  day,  and  is  not  expressed  in  the  conduct  of 
thousands  of  people  in  this  generation.  John  says  that, 
despite  the  many  wonderful  works  Jesus  had  wrought 
before  the  very  eyes  of  the  Jews,  "they  believed  not  on 
Him,"  that  is,  the  nation  as  a  whole  did  not  receive 
Him.  Nevertheless,  there  were  notable  exceptions,  for 
"even  among  the  chief  rulers  many  believed  on  Him; 
but  because  of  the  Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  Him, 
lest  they  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue."  They 
had  a  very  sensitive  regard  for  the  jealous  guardians 
of  orthodoxy,  and  a  very  serious  dread  of  excommunica- 
tion. The  common  people  were  under  the  spell  of  the 
same  deference  for  authority.  Popular  opinion  took  its 
form  and  color  from  the  judgments  of  the  Pharisees. 
If  these  lordly  tyrants  of  the  conscience  saw  any  symp- 
toms of  belief  in  Jesus  on  the  part  of  the  populace,  they 
would  instantly  crush  the  budding  faith  under  the  threat 
of  persecution.  For  the  people  who  were  victims  of  this 
policy  of  repression  one  can  feel  a  measure  of  pity,  but 
for  the  rulers  who  timorously  yielded  to  it  one  must 
have  a  kind  of  scorn,  for  they  ought  to  have  been  strong 
enough  to  brave  the  enmity  of  the  Pharisees.    But  John's 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  299 

verdict  concerning  them  is  true:  "They  loved  the  praise 
of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God."  Doubtless  this 
could  also  be  said  with  equal  propriety  of  the  common 
people  in  large  numbers,  and  unfortunately  it  can  be 
applied  to  multitudes  in  our  own  time,  who  substitute 
worldly  favor  for  divine  approbation. 

It  is  related  of  a  great  financier,  one  of  the  Frank- 
fort Rothschilds,  that  whenever  he  was  in  doubt  on  a 
matter  of  business  he  would  turn  to  his  chief  clerk  and 
say:  "Herr  Meyer,  pray  tell  me,  what  are  my  principles 
to-day  with  regard  to  American  hides?" — or  whatever 
the  interest  under  discussion  might  chance  to  be.  What 
a  host  of  souls  take  their  rule  of  life  in  this  fashion  at 
the  hands  of  others  !  If  they  confined  themselves  to  those 
concerns  which  affect  commercial  life  alone  the  result 
would  not  be  so  alarming,  but  sadly  enough  they  confer 
with  flesh  and  blood  regarding  the  deeper  questions  of 
character,  and  submit  their  spiritual  convictions  to  the 
judgment  of  the  world. 

Under  such  circumstances  unbelief  is  seen  to  be  not 
a  matter  of  the  mind,  but  of  the  will.  Jesus  plainly  de- 
clared that  the  evidence  of  His  right  to  be  called  the 
Son  of  God  was  so  ample  that  any  man  who  was  willing 
to  acknowledge  Him  as  Lord,  would  find  no  difficulty  in 
doing  so.  And  John's  avowed  purpose  in  writing  his 
gospel  was  so  to  mass  the  testimony  of  every  kind  in 
support  of  Christ's  divinity  that  the  dullest  mind  could 
not  escape  the  conviction  that  only  through  faith  in  Him 
was  eternal  life  to  be  secured.  Jesus  told  the  influential 
Jews  who  were  seeking  His  destruction  that  their  unbe- 
lief had  a  moral  and  not  an  intellectual  root.  "I  know 
you,  that  ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you.  I  am 
come  in  My  Father's  name,  and  ye  receive  Me  not.  If 
another  shall  come  in  his  own  name,  him  ye  will  receive. 
How  can  ye  believe  which  receive  honor  one  of  another, 
and  seek  not  the  honor  that  cometh  from  God  only?" 
(John  V,  42-44.")  While  they  had  an  itch  for  human 
applause  it  was  impossible  for  them  to  put  a  true  valu- 


300      STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

ation  on  the  favor  of  God.  If  Jesus  had  come  as  a  leader 
of  conventional  religious  thought,  if  He  had  adjusted 
Himself  to  the  worldly  policy  of  the  Jews,  if  He  had 
sought  to  ingratiate  Himself  into  their  favor  by  adopt- 
ing their  carnal  program,  then  He  would  have  been  re- 
ceived with  enthusiasm.  But  the  pure  spirituality  He 
taught  was  offensive  to  their  tastes.  "They  loved  the 
praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise  of  God." 

Macaulay  tells  of  a  rich  Brahman  who  saw  a  drop 
of  water  from  the  sacred  Ganges  under  the  microscope. 
The  revelations  thus  made  to  him  were  so  appalling  that 
he  bought  the  instrument  and  dashed  it  to  atoms,  that  it 
might  never  again  rebuke  his  superstitious  practices.  It 
was  with  a  similar  motive  that  these  Jews  pursued  Jesus 
until  they  accomplished  His  death.  So  long  as  He  re- 
mained in  their  presence  He  was  a  perpetual  judgment 
upon  their  dishonest  lives.  They  could  only  rid  their 
consciences  of  the  constant  reminder  of  their  faithless- 
ness by  removing  Him  from  the  world.  Actuated  by 
this  purpose,  their  moral  sense  steadily  lost  its  quicken- 
ing power,  and  finally  their  spiritual  perceptions  were  so 
blunted  that  they  saw  no  beauty  in  Him  who  was  the 
"light  of  the  world."  That  was  character-suicide,  and 
it  illustrates  a  process  that  is  continually  going  on  in 
society  to-day.  Men  turn  aside  from  Jesus  Christ  be- 
cause He  apparently  opposes  their  personal  interests. 
He  makes  a  demand  upon  them  which  they  are  not  will- 
ing to  grant.  They  prefer  worldly  satisfactions  to  Chris- 
tian discipleship,  and  at  length  they  lose  all  zest  for 
spiritual  religion,  and  dwindle  into  moral  insensibility. 

There  exists  no  formal  body  of  Pharisees  in  our  day 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  religious  feelings  of  the  people. 
In  their  place,  however,  and  exerting  an  equally  baneful 
influence,  is  the  spirit  of  worldliness,  which  so  plainly 
characterizes  the  age  in  which  we  live.  There  is  no 
question  but  that  this  temper  is  foreign  to  the  interest's 
of  religion.  "For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust  of 
the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life, 
is  not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the  world." 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  301 

An  undue  deference  to  public  opinion  marks  those 
who  "love  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the  praise  of 
God."  This  is  an  exhibition  of  feeble  judgment.  It 
supposes  that  society  is  wiser  than  the  individuals  which 
compose  it.  The  truth  is  that  people  in  the  mass  are 
generally  inferior  in  understanding  and  in  character  to 
the  same  persons  taken  singly.  The  chemist  combines 
ingredients  which  are  innocuous  in  themselves  into  a 
compound  which  is  deadly  in  its  effect  upon  the  human 
system.  A  number  of  fairly  wise  people  when  thrown 
together  become  capable  of  great  folly.  The  mob  is 
a  very  dangerous  thing.  Public  opinion  is  often  only 
the  speech  of  the  demagogue  transferred  to  the  lips  of 
the  people.  In  any  case  it  simply  represents  average 
conventional  ideas,  which  frequently  occupy  a  low  level 
of  intelligence. 

Charles  James  Fox,  the  English  statesmen,  would 
often  say,  when  a  public  measure  was  under  discussion, 

'T  wonder  what  Lord  B will  think  of  this."     Now 

Lord  B happened  to  be  a  very  stupid  person,  and 

Fox's  friends  were  curious  to  know  why  he  attached  so 
much  importance  to  the  opinion  of  such  an  ordinary  in- 
dividual. "His  opinion,"  said  Mr.  Fox,  "is  of  much 
more  importance  than  you  are  aware  of.  He  is  an  exact 
representative  of  all  commonplace   English  prejudices, 

and  what  Lord  B thinks  of  any  measure,  the  great 

majority  of  English  people  will  think  of  it."  It  is  shrewd- 
ness in  the  politician  to  heed  the  popular  sentiment  in 
order  to  serve  his  own  ends,  but  it  is  folly  in  those  who 
desire  a  rule  of  conduct  to  look  for  it  in  the  dictates  of 
public  opinion.  The  people  and  their  leaders  have  often 
been  astray,  and  society  would  soon  drift  into  hopeless 
incapacity,  if  it  were  not  for  the  benevolent  interference 
of  men  who  think  for  themselves,  and  who  are  at  con- 
stant variance  with  public  opinion. 

To  regulate  one's  religious  life  by  the  customs  of  the 
world — another  species  of  imwholesome  regard  for  com- 
monplace popular  judgment — is  the  superlative  degree 
of  foolishness.  The  rulers  in  Christ's  day,  who  were  de- 
terred from  espousing  His  cause  openly  by  the  fear  of 
Pharisaic  enmity,  were  guilty  of  this  moral  weakness; 


302     STUDIES  IN  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 

and  those  who  refrain  from  an  earnest  devotion  to  Chris- 
tian principles  in  this  age,  because  they  dread  the  flippant 
criticism  of  worldlings,  are  victims  of  the  same  sinful 
timidity.  "They  love  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the 
praise  of  God."  They  have  a  higher  respect  for  tem- 
poral glory  than  for  eternal  riches.  The  exhortation  of 
St.  Paul  is  the  true  prescription  for  such  a  malady :  "Be 
not  conformed  to  this  world ;  but  be  ye  transformed  by 
the  renewing  of  your  mind,  that  ye  may  prove  what  is 
that  good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God." 

Alexander  Hamilton  is  credited  with  this  noble  senti- 
ment: "I  would  willingly  risk  my  life,  but  not  my  char- 
acter, to  exalt  my  station."  There  are  too  few  persons 
among  us  who  are  inspired  by  such  a  lofty  principle. 
An  eagerness  for  personal  popularity  destroys  the  sense 
of  relative  values  in  many  minds.  The  youth  is  ruined 
in  college  because  he  sets  a  higher  estimate  on  being 
dubbed  a  good  fellow  than  on  achieving  scholarship.  He 
dishonors  himself  in  business  by  surrendering  moral  in- 
tegrity to  the  aspiration  to  be  considered  brilliant  and 
the  purpose  to  become  rich.  He  weighs  every  action  in 
the  scales  of  self-interest.  Demetrius,  the  silversmith, 
who  saw  his  business  of  making"  shrines  for  Diana  going 
to  pieces  under  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  cried  out  to 
his  fellow-workmen,  "This  our  craft  is  in  danger  to 
be  set  at  nought !"  In  a  like  spirit  men  to-day  often 
protest  that  religion  must  not  be  allowed  to  interfere  in 
commerce,  and  for  the  sake  of  temporal  success  yield 
their  hold  upon  moral  character.  In  order  to  secure 
social  eminence  or  political  emoluments  others  will  sac- 
rifice every  virtue  and  stifle  every  prompting  of  con- 
science. "They  love  the  praise  of  men  more  than  the 
praise  of  God."  Jesus  spoke  sage  words  to  His  dis- 
ciples when  He  said :  "Woe  unto  you,  when  all  men  shall 
speak  well  of  you,  for  so  did  their  fathers  to  the  false 
prophets."  His  admonition  is  needed  now  as  then,  not 
only  for  the  leaders  of  religion,  but  for  all  who  seek  the 
highest  good. 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  303 

In  the  early  years  of  his  public  life  Franklin  Pierce 
was  addicted  to  habits  of  dissipation.  During  this  period 
his  career  in  Washington  reflected  no  credit  upon  him- 
self or  his  constituency.  But  under  the  influence  of  a 
faithful  preacher  of  the  gospel,  who  was  at  the  time 
chaplain  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  to  whose 
ministry  Franklin  Pierce  was  powerfully  attracted,  he 
was  brought  to  see  the  sinfulness  of  his  life,  and  to  enter 
upon  an  earnest  religious  experience.  To  the  great  sur- 
prise of  every  one  he  soon  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
Senate,  and  retired  to  private  life  in  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  where  for  several  months  he  exhibited  a 
most  ardent  Christian  spirit.  At  length,  however,  he 
drifted  back  into  a  more  easy-going  method  of  living, 
though  he  never  sank  again  into  the  evil  practices  of 
former  days.  His  reason  for  resigning  his  place  in  the 
Senate  was  the  subject  of  much  inquiry,  and  was  never 
thoroughly  understood  by  his  associates ;  but  he  declared 
to  a  clergyman  in  Concord  that  he  had  withdrawn  from 
political  life  in  order  to  enter  the  ministry.  Until  re- 
cently a  man  was  living  who  had  received  this  story 
directly  from  the  person  to  whom  Mr.  Pierce  had  di- 
vulged his  intentions.  But  the  seductions  of  political 
preferment  were  too  strong  for  him,  and  when  the  op- 
portunity for  national  prominence  came  to  him  he  yielded 
to  the  temptation  of  ambition.  When  he  was  nominated 
for  the  Presidency  thousands  of  people  in  all  parts  of 
the  country  asked,  "Who  is  Franklin  Pierce?"  and  when 
the  small  impression  he  made  as  Chief  Magistrate  upon 
the  life  of  the  nation  is  remembered,  it  will  not  be  thought 
strange  if  in  future  days  the  same  question  often  rises 
to  the  lips  of  American  citizens,  "Who  was  Franklin 
Pierce?"  Had  he  clung  to  the  purpose  conceived  in  his 
soul  under  the  impulse  of  religious  enthusiasm,  he  might 
have  written  his  name  in  ineffaceable  letters  upon  the 
characters  of  those  whom  he  had  won  to  Christ,  and 
whose  lives  he  had  molded  into  strength  and  symmetry 
by  the  ministry  of  the  truth.  "What  is  a  man  advan- 
taged, if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  himself?" 


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